I was born on June 9, 2000, at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Jersey. My mom says I brought joy to the family.
Me, under a year old, apple picking with Mom at Delicious Orchards in New Jersey. I’m sure I was a big help.
Pumpkin picking!
My siblings, Marcus and Jelysa, holding me for the first time right after I was born.
Mugging for the camera—very typical—while camping with the family in Maryland in 2005.
I Me at six years old, at my firstever competition as a gymnast— on a noncompetitive level, but still! So proud.
I love my dad.
Here’s that photo I told you about: The day after surgery in June 2014, after I had torn my patella tendon and had a dislocated kneecap and bruised MCL. I was determined to get better and get back to gymnastics.
On my way to physical therapy with my knee brace, six weeks after surgery.
More recovery: doing physical therapy and getting myself back on track. This was so hard, but with support from my family, I kept going.
I made it to Rio! The Summer Olympic Games, 2016.
The individual balance beam routine that won me silver on August 15, 2016. These moments are so cool to see from the outside.
From my silver medal–winning individual beam routine.
My silver medal ceremony. I was so, so proud of everything I’d accomplished and of how hard I’d worked toward that moment!
I loved every moment of being in Rio. It was amazing to be in the Olympic Village with so many spectacular athletes from around the world.
The Final Five during our team competition gold medal ceremony on August 9, 2016. I love all these girls so much, and I know we’ll always share something special. Left to right: Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, me, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman.
August 23, 2016: backstage at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with my whole family—can you believe it? Because honestly, I still can’t.
At a Yankees game with my family after the Olympics. Being around them is fun and perfect, and I love getting to come home to them.
Me and my siblings heading to the VMAs in New York City on August 28, 2016— it was my first time seeing my brother and sister after the Olympics. I’ll always remember that night and be grateful for their incredible support.
Before filming Good Day New York right after the Olympics ended. Coming home was such a whirlwind!
The day we announced that I would be appearing on Dancing with the Stars and that I would partner with Val Chmerkovskiy. We had an AMAZING journey.
Right before my very first competition on Dancing with the Stars, September 12, 2016! What a change from gymnastics competitions.
September 3, 2016: I threw out the first pitch at the Mets game, and they gave me the jersey! This was an incredible moment for me.
At the VMAs with four of the Final Five on August 28, 2016—better known as THE NIGHT I MET BEYONCÉ.
This was October 3, 2016, the night of my first set of perfect 10s on Dancing with the Stars. I wasn’t expecting that score at all, but Val and I had worked so hard, and it felt wonderful.
With Big Bird during my appearance on Sesame Street. It was a special treat, and one I’ll remember forever.
Dreams do come true! What an amazing journey and what a special moment. And the very best partner I could’ve ever asked for—thanks, Val!!!
THE FINAL STRETCH
CHAPTER 16
THE OLYMPICS ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPETITION that, when you’re there, you have to tune out literally everything else. You can’t even embrace the fact that you’re a part of this incredible event—it could scare you and set your mind off the very thing you’re there to do. It’s like your feelings are on time delay, so that only when the craziness dies down can you finally look back at the amazing experience you had and see it for the blessing it is. You realize that so few people will ever have this same opportunity, which connects you even more to your teammates and your coaches.
Now, what happens after, during the post-Olympics stretch when you’re touring the country to share your pride with the nation—that is very different. You’re hyperaware of everything that’s happening to you as it’s happening. At every single event you have at least one pinch me—is this real? moment. You planned to compete in the Olympics your whole life, but you really never planned to meet and be celebrated by all your favorite musical artists, actors, comedians, and state leaders!
One of the most amazing things we got to do as we took that victory lap was meet the president and First Lady. Our minute in the spotlight with POTUS and FLOTUS was very funny. They were so humble; it was one of my favorite parts about meeting them. Before either of them entered the room, we all had to place our phones on a table—I guess the rule is no selfies with the First Family. We got to ask Mrs. Obama’s staff a bunch of questions before she arrived, and they told us that whenever they take video of her, first she looks down at the floor for the white tape that tells her where to stand for the cameras. At first we thought they were kidding. After all, she’s done this a trillion times! But they weren’t. Apparently it’s a habit of hers. So Simone and Maddy were standing on the left while Aly and I were on the right when the First Lady came in and greeted us. We were super excited to meet her. She was as warm and friendly as we expected her to be, and her smile was so inviting. But before we shook her hand, she did what her staff predicted she would do: she looked for the white tape and took her place. I don’t know why I thought that was so hysterical, but it made me laugh. I guess it reminded me of having to unconsciously check the out-of-bounds lines before beginning my floor routines. I thought it was the funniest thing.
The president wasn’t supposed to join us at first, but he said he was such a big fan that he and Vice President Biden just had to stop by and say hello. He pretended to do a few splits with the team, and then we jokingly asked if he would adopt us. Imagine us jumping on the mattresses in the Lincoln Bedroom or spinning on the chair behind his desk in the Oval Office!
Before going to the White House, we were on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which was another awesome experience. We kept thinking, This is insane! But even though we were nervous and knew what a big deal it was, we were still able to take it all in and enjoy it. We played a game called Hungry Hungry Humans, which was a riff on the children’s game Hungry Hungry Hippos. We had to lie on our stomachs on these moving boards. I was paired with Aly, and she had to grab my ankles and steer me back and forth so I could grab as many loose basketballs as possible and put them in my bucket. The team with the most basketballs in the end won. It was really funny—and a little shocking—to see how competitive we could be. We were so aggressive! It wasn’t at all the dignified way we compete in gymnastics. We were definitely going for gold at all costs.
At the VMAs in late August, we had the biggest OMG moment of all. We were there to present the award for best female video. When we opened the envelope with the winner’s name on it and saw Beyoncé’s, we were thrilled. We waited a minute, and when no one came up to receive the award we thought, Oh, maybe she’s not here. None of us had seen her arrive earlier, nor had we gotten a glimpse of her in the audience—believe me, we looked! So we thought someone else might be accepting it on her behalf. But that’s when we turned and saw her walking up the stairs toward us. We were stunned. We looked at each other like it was Christmas and we’d just gotten the coolest present ever. Beyoncé was standing there in front of us! I kept looking at the audience with an expression that said, Are you catching this? We each hugged her, and I don’t know about the others, but I melted when she put her arms around me. I think we floated offstage after that. I don’t usually get flustered when I meet famous people. I’m pretty calm and able to talk to them. I only freak out after they leave. But I have to admit I was very starstruck that night.
Kim and Kanye were there, too, which was fun. Kanye is an artist both Marcus and I like. When I met him I said, “Wow, your music is amazing. I li
sten to your albums all the time and think you’re a genius!” I made him smile, and that’s something he is definitely not known for doing a lot. People joke on Twitter all the time that if you take a rare photo with Kanye smiling, you should report it for good luck. I thought it was hilarious that I got him to look happy. I told Marcus I’m going to have good luck for the rest of my life because Kanye smiled at me. And then, when I asked to take a picture with him, what do you think he did? He said, “Okay, yeah. Sure. No problem,” and then he made a super-serious face! I couldn’t help but use his own lyrics for the photo caption on Twitter. It read, I love Kanye more than Kanye loves Kanye! The truth is, seeing him smile made me love him just a little bit more than I used to.
From there, the fun continued for Simone, Aly, Gabby, Maddy, and me.
Unfortunately, Gabby couldn’t join us the night we saw Hamilton, but the rest of us went with a few of our coaches and had a great time. I’d never seen a musical live before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but everyone tells me that this is one of the all-time best, and I sensed that without even knowing it for sure. It was pure art and poetry. Basically, it’s American history set to rap, and as I mentioned before, I’ve grown to like history a lot. It was an amazing play. I’d really like to see it again to catch any details I might have missed, and maybe to sing along now that the lyrics keep swirling around in my head.
Those are just a few of the highlights from the best summer of my life. But the fall of 2016 did not disappoint, either!
TOUR DE FORCE
CHAPTER 17
FROM SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER 2016, IT was time to stop being such fangirls ourselves and start getting out there to meet and entertain our own fans.
We traveled as part of the AEG/USAG’s Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions, which stopped in thirty-six cities. Not only were the Final Five featured in the show, but members of the 2016 men’s Olympic and World gymnastics teams starred in it, too. Chris Brooks, Jake Dalton, Danell Leyva, Donothan Bailey, Marvin Kimble, C. J. Maestas, Sam Mikulak, Alex Naddour, Eddie Penev, Donnell Whittenburg, and Brandon Wynn were all there. We were also joined by female Olympic champions Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, and Jordyn Wieber. I love all three of them. Shawn, as you well know, was one of my earliest inspirations! Few people know this, but when I was going through that rough patch just before the Olympic Trials, I had a phone call with her and she really helped me through it. She told me how she stressed the same exact way and how she just had to work hard to push through. Knowing she’d had those same feelings and still persevered boosted my confidence. In many ways, she, Nastia, and Aly also emboldened me to go on Dancing with the Stars. Shawn also won the Mirror Ball Trophy the year she competed, and both Nastia and Aly kicked it on the show, too.
And if that isn’t enough talent on one stage, some of the most amazing rhythmic and trampoline artists I’ve ever seen were in the tour show, too, including Logan Dooley and Nicole Ahsinger. Athlete Laura Zeng was also there, as were members of the first US rhythmic gymnastics group to qualify at the Olympics: Alisa Kano, Natalie McGiffert, Jennifer Rokhman, Monica Rokhman, and Kristie Shaldybin. And World acrobatic gymnasts Tiffani Williams and Axl Osborne performed as well. If you’ve never watched rhythmic gymnastics, you have to! It combines different forms of dance with gymnastics, working in all kinds of hoops, rings, ribbons, and different apparatus as well. It’s so theatrical—you’ll love it.
Occasionally MyKayla Skinner, Ragan Smith, or Ashton Locklear would fill in for me or for one of the other gymnasts when there were scheduling conflicts. They, of course, were the phenomenal alternates on our Olympic team. They have a ton of talent individually and collectively. Mary Sanders, a former Olympian in rhythmic gymnastics and one of the creative directors of the tour, also substituted for girls who couldn’t make some of the tour dates. There were so many cool people floating in and out of practices and performances all the time, it was crazy.
The tour was like a big welcome-home party for all of us. Everywhere we went, we felt the affection of people who’d watched us in the Olympics or followed us as we competed nationally and internationally throughout the year. The audience was always filled with kids who eat, sleep, and drink gymnastics almost as much as we do. And of course there were those who came even though they themselves had never been on a balance beam or vault in their lives, just because they love to watch gymnastics. When we spoke to the young gymnasts, we found out that many are in their school gymnastics program or are taking local recreational classes. There were even some who are competing at the elite level. Many of the amazing fans who came to see us were joined by their coaches and moms. You can’t imagine how much of a community effort it is to raise an athletic child, so it was nice to see them all enjoying an evening out together. They reminded me of me and my MG Elite teammates when we had a chance to unwind with each other after workouts or meets. We always laughed a lot and had such a good time in each other’s company. Also, whenever these fans would ask for a picture or an autograph, I thought back to how I felt when I met some of my favorite gymnasts for the first time. I wanted to make these kids feel the same way some of my idols had made me feel. You could see in their eyes how much they love this sport, and I want them to have that look forever.
One time on tour, we did have a spectator who was not like all the others. I couldn’t believe it, but musician Tori Kelly showed up! I think that was the time I lost any coolness left in me. Tori is one of my favorite singers in the world. She is such a humble person, and her songs are always so inspiring. She’s been my role model for a long time. And her visit was a total surprise. She drove two hours to be there that night, and I can’t tell you how much meeting her meant to me. It turned out she’s almost as big a fan of me as I am of her! If you don’t have a positive role model like her in your life, get one. She reminds me to stay real every day.
At each venue, Kellogg’s set up a Fitness and Nutrition Zone so kids could learn about strength, flexibility, and cardio as well as about the importance of eating healthy foods. It was cool because they handed out cereal boxes with our pictures on them! When we’re training, our bodies take a pounding. The workouts on an elite level are so strenuous, you need to eat foods that will fuel you, curb any inflammation you might have, and help tweak and tone your muscles, too. I’m not saying that at our fans’ ages or skill levels they need to eat like us, but learning to make healthy choices and to provide consistent self-care will give them an advantage later on, whether they compete or just exercise for themselves. In addition to eating well, I think they should hydrate as much as possible and get enough sleep. As you know, I’m all about making sure you’re treating yourself well and giving your mind, body, and spirit everything they need to flourish.
My only regret from the tour was that I didn’t have more time in each city to explore the local sights. I had never been to most of these places before. But we kept moving so that we could perform in front of as many people in as many cities as possible. The weeks went by so quickly. How we got from Duluth, Georgia, to Spokane, Washington, is a bit of a blur. But even if we didn’t stay long in each city, the view from the tour bus window was beautiful a lot of the time. I think everyone should take a cross-country trip at some point. The landscape is so varied and the fall colors were gorgeous.
Of course, one of the best parts of the tour were the antics on the bus rides between cities. We would talk, giggle, play music, and jam out together, or do all of the above at the same time. Around the end of October, we started watching a lot of scary movies—it must have been a Halloween thing. That’s when we’d all just huddle up on the couch together under a blanket and scream. I felt sorry for the bus driver!
Then there would be hours at a time when you wouldn’t hear a peep from anyone because we were all sound asleep.
Simone and I were on a different bus than Maddy, Aly, and Gabby, but the fun would continue at the hotel and the venue when the five of us were together again. We really are just like
a giant family. And with all the other girls included, it was like one big extended family. You would think that us five had had enough of each other by that point, but we hadn’t. I’d miss the fun some nights because I would fly back to LA to do Dancing with the Stars, but on those days I would Snapchat with the girls to catch up.
I’m not sure everyone can understand the lasting bond we have. Some people think that although we’re still close now, our friendship will probably fade over time. But it’s not like that at all. We realize that the adventures we have had, and are still having, are once-in-a-lifetime. I believe that as we grow older we’re still going to be close. And when I look at Shawn and Nastia’s friendship, I know I’m right. They went to the Olympics together, and the bond formed there is still as strong as ever. The same is true of Aly and Jordyn and their 2012 Olympic teammates.
As my journey has continued, I’ve learned lasting, important lessons about friendships from several different groups of people in my life.
Back in New Jersey, I was lucky to have friends who have known me since I was practically a baby, because my parents and their parents moved into our neighborhood around the same time. We’re all close because we had those early years in common.
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