I Got This

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I Got This Page 10

by Laurie Hernandez


  We got another set of perfect 10s that night. And the truth is, Val did help change my world. I was thrilled beyond words when we won the Mirror Ball Trophy. We earned a combined two-night score of 118 points in the finals—not to mention picking up two more perfect 10s. And I’m even more humbled to be the youngest contestant ever to win DWTS!

  I couldn’t believe the wave of renewed energy that carried me into those last two evenings. On the first night, I loved revisiting our paso doble for the redemption round to the tune of “Wicked Ones” by Dorothy. Everything about it just felt right! But it was the freestyle to Ben Rector’s “Brand New” where I really let loose and had the most fun. Since Val is like family now, the choice of dancing the samba trio with him and his brother, Maks, to “Megalenha” by Sergio Mendes for our encore on the second night seemed completely natural to me, too. But if you had told me in week one that I’d end the season with a foxtrot and Argentine tango fusion, I’m not sure I would have believed you! I’ve come such a long way. As we moved to Myon’s inspiring “We Are the Ones,” I just knew we could win. And we did! It was an especially awesome achievement because we were up against the fiercest of competitors: Sharna and James, who took second place, and Lindsay and Calvin, who took third. Both couples danced their hearts out week after week, so it was an honor to take it to the end with them.

  I had so much fun doing the show. It truly impacted my life in so many surprising ways, but honestly, I don’t think it’s always the Mirror Ball that’s the prize. I really believe you win in this contest and every other contest in life the minute you take on and commit to the challenge!

  I loved Calvin Johnson’s story about why he joined the cast of DWTS this season. During an interview with Lisa Salters on ESPN, his sister told the world that she didn’t think her brother had rhythm or could dance. If my brother said that about me on TV (and thankfully he never has!), I would want to prove him wrong, too.

  When I heard Calvin tell that story, I realized every one of us had come on the show for more than the Mirror Ball Trophy. Most of us were there to challenge ourselves, to push our limits, to apply skills we already had to something new, to inspire our loved ones to keep growing, too, and to write another exciting life chapter. I knew I would learn about dance—what I didn’t know was that I’d learn so much about myself. I feel as if I grew as a person every week on the show. I pushed myself to feel a whole range of emotions I didn’t know I had, and when I was asked to portray an emotion I couldn’t really access, I learned how to imagine how that emotion might feel. (Okay, there were a few I had to flat-out fake!) Yes, there is definitely some acting involved in gymnastics floor exercises, but dancing helped me kick those skills up a few notches. And since then, I’ve made my formal acting debut. Did you see me counting to five with Grover on Sesame Street? Or appearing as myself on Stuck in the Middle? I’ve always dreamed of being in an action-adventure movie, so who knows, maybe I can do that next!

  I expected to do my best throughout the whole DWTS competition. What I didn’t expect was to be so moved every week as I watched all the others do their best, too.

  I also expected to laugh a little and have fun with my dance partner. I didn’t expect to laugh all the time! And I definitely didn’t expect to confess to the judges or to Ellen DeGeneres that I still sleep with my teddy bear! By the way, being on Ellen’s show was insane. She is as funny off camera as she is on. When Val and I entered the building where the show is filmed, she was in the lobby playing Ping-Pong! I asked her and the crew if this was an everyday thing, and they said, “Absolutely!” So I couldn’t help myself. I blurted out, “Ellen, if you play Ping-Pong all the time, why didn’t I see you at the Olympics?” She just smiled and said, “You did. I was there. I was just in a different building.” I thought she was hilarious!

  BEYOND THE MIRROR BALL TROPHY

  CHAPTER 20

  ULTIMATELY, THIS IS THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE I want you to take away from my story: You win whenever you commit to something, because you can’t experience growth without even trying.

  Many years ago I found a sport I absolutely love to do. I pursued gymnastics with my whole heart. I gave it all the energy, focus, and determination I possibly could. There were disappointing days. There were even times when either my body or my spirit seriously entertained the notion of quitting. But I kept going. By now you know that I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t taken a chance and committed to those challenges.

  A little before the Olympics began and certainly after the Olympics ended, I had to think about setting some new goals. It’s always hard to do that when you’ve been concentrating on one mission for such a long time. I asked myself some important questions: Would I go to college and compete on the NCAA level? Or would I go pro? Would I travel on the Kellogg’s Tour and be away from my family for even longer stretches of time than usual? Would I join Dancing with the Stars to learn and exercise some new skills?

  Sometimes setting goals and making choices can seem overwhelming, so I decided to take each question one by one. I gave myself enough time to weigh the pros and the cons, but not too much time that I lost my momentum. I decided to go pro because the opportunities coming my way were just too exciting to pass up. They were chances that might not come my way again, and I believed that all of them offered me an opportunity to grow and learn. Since my family and I really do value education, I also knew that I could return to school for a higher degree at any time in the future.

  I also decided to tour with Kellogg’s and had an incredibly fun time. And of course, I competed on (and won!) Dancing with the Stars and joined their national tour as well. Plus, as part of my Olympic dream coming true, I’ve been privileged to endorse leotard brand GK, Nike, and P&G.

  After each success I had with those ventures, it seemed like even more offers rolled in. So you see how making an effort just helps more good things happen? I am lucky to have my family and other professional people around me to help me make wise decisions, but I’m also listening to my heart as I have always done—it seems to know what’s best a lot of the time.

  Not all my goals from here on out will be as big as going to the Olympics, but I like having expectations and meeting them. It’s a great way to make sure you are getting the most out of your life.

  Some of you may already have big goals that you are working toward. Some of you may have smaller goals. And a few of you may still be in search of at least one good one to pursue. Wherever you are on that spectrum, I can’t encourage you enough to think about, reach for, and achieve your dreams. The feeling is like nothing else in the world. And when you do succeed, don’t be afraid to hit reset and dare to dream again! That’s what I’m doing, and what I hope you do, too.

  YOUR TURN

  When I decided to go pro, my agent and friend, Sheryl Shade, gave me a journal. She told me to write in it every day. She said it would be important to remember all the things that were happening in my life at any given moment for when I wanted to tell my children or my grandchildren about them, for when I just wanted to refresh my own memory, or for when I eventually wanted to write about my story. She also told me not only to look back but to look ahead: the journal was where I could make lists of all the things I wanted to do in the future.

  I want to pass on that inspiration to you. Think of the next few pages as your possibility pages. Start writing some goals you’d like to reach today, tomorrow, this year, a few years from now. They can be large or small. And as you make your list, remember the words I wrote at the start of this book: You got this!

  LAURIE’S OFFICIAL RECORDS

  National Competition Results

  2016 US Olympic Team Trials, San Jose, California (Sr. Division)

  1st Balance Beam; 2nd All-Around; 3rd Floor Exercise; 4th Vault; 7th Uneven Bars

  2016 P&G Championships, St. Louis, Missouri (Sr. Division)

  3rd All-Around, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise (Tie)

  2016 Secret US Classic,
Hartford, Connecticut (Sr. Division)

  4th Uneven Bars

  2015 P&G Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana (Jr. Division)

  1st All-Around, Uneven Bars; 2nd Floor Exercise; 3rd Vault (Tie), Balance Beam

  2015 Secret US Classic, Chicago, Illinois (Jr. Division)

  1st All-Around, Vault, Uneven Bars; 3rd Balance Beam, Floor Exercise (Tie)

  2013 P&G Championships, Hartford, Connecticut (Jr. Division)

  2nd All-Around, Uneven Bars, Floor Exercise; 3rd Balance Beam (Tie); 5th Vault

  2013 Secret US Classic, Chicago, Illinois (Jr. Division)

  1st Floor Exercise; 6th All-Around; 8th Vault, Uneven Bars

  2013 American Classics, Huntsville, Texas (Jr. Division)

  1st Floor Exercise; 2nd All-Around; 3rd Vault, Balance Beam; 7th Uneven Bars

  2013 Parkettes Invitational, Allentown, Pennsylvania (Jr. Division)

  1st Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise, All-Around; 3rd Vault

  2012 Secret US Classic, Chicago, Illinois (Jr. Division)

  6th Floor Exercise; 7th Balance Beam

  International Competition Results

  2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  1st Team; 2nd Balance Beam

  2016 Pacific Rim Championships, Everett, Washington (Sr. Division)

  1st Team

  2016 Jesolo Trophy, Jesolo, Italy (Sr. Division)

  1st Team, Balance Beam; 2nd Vault; 3rd All-Around

  2015 Junior Japan International, Yokohama, Japan

  1st All-Around, Vault, Floor Exercise; 2nd Uneven Bars, Balance Beam

  2015 Jesolo Trophy, Jesolo, Italy (Jr. Division)

  1st Team, All-Around, Uneven Bars, Floor Exercise

  2013 International Junior Mexican Cup, Acapulco, Mexico

  1st Team; 2nd All-Around

  2013 International Junior Gymnastics Competition, Yokohama, Japan (Jr. Division)

  3rd All-Around, Vault; 4th Floor Exercise; 6th Balance Beam

  GLOSSARY OF GYMNASTICS TERMS

  AERIAL

  A stunt in which the gymnast turns completely over in the air without touching the apparatus with his or her hands.

  ALL-AROUND

  A category of gymnastics that includes all the events. The all-around champion of an event earns the highest total score from all events combined.

  AMPLITUDE

  The height or degree of execution of a movement. In general, the higher the salto or the more breathtaking the movement, the better the amplitude and the score.

  APPARATUS

  One of the various pieces of equipment used in gymnastics competitions.

  ARCH POSITION

  The body is curved backward.

  BACK-IN, FULL-OUT

  A double salto with a full twist (the complete twist performed during the second salto).

  CODE OF POINTS

  The official FIG rulebook for judging gymnastics skills.

  COMPOSITION

  The structure of a gymnastics routine. Each individual movement or skill is a building block; the arrangement of the moves in the exercise is called the composition of the routine.

  DEDUCTION

  Points taken off a gymnast’s score for errors. Most deductions are predetermined, such as a 0.8 deduction for a fall from an apparatus or a 0.1 deduction for stepping out of bounds on the floor exercise.

  DISMOUNT

  To leave an apparatus at the end of a routine; usually done with a difficult twist or salto.

  EXECUTION

  The performance of a routine. Form, style, and technique used to complete the skills constitute the level of execution of an exercise. Bent knees, poor toe point, and an arched or loosely held body position are all examples of poor execution.

  FIG

  The International Gymnastics Federation—which is known officially in the French, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, because its headquarters are in Switzerland—is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and is responsible for the governance of the sport of gymnastics on the international level.

  FLEXIBILITY

  The range of motion through which a body part can move without feeling pain.

  FLIC-FLAC

  Also known as a flip-flop or back handspring. Take off on one or two feet, jump backward onto hands, and land on feet. This element is used in a majority of tumbling passes on the floor exercise. It’s also used a great deal on the balance beam.

  FULL-IN, BACK-OUT

  A double salto with a full twist (the complete twist performed during the first salto).

  GAYLORD

  On high bar, a front giant into a one-and-one-half front salto over the bar to regrasp. First done by US gymnast Mitch Gaylord.

  GIANT

  A swing in which the body is fully extended and moving through a 360-degree rotation around the bar.

  HALF-IN, HALF-OUT

  A double salto with a half twist on the first salto and a half twist on the second salto.

  HANDSPRING

  Springing off the hands by putting the weight on the arms and using a strong push from the shoulders; can be done either forward or backward; usually a linking movement.

  KIP

  Movement from a position below the equipment to a position above, usually on the uneven bars, parallel bars, or high bar.

  LAYOUT POSITION

  A stretched body position.

  OLYMPIC ORDER

  The international competition order that is decided by the FIG. Olympic order for women is vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Men compete in the following order: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. Olympic order for rhythmic gymnasts is rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon.

  PIKE POSITION

  Body bent forward more than ninety degrees at the hips while the legs are kept straight.

  PIROUETTE

  Changing direction or moving in a circular motion by twisting in the handstand position.

  RELEASE

  Leaving the bar to perform a move before regrasping it.

  ROUND-OFF

  A dynamic turning movement, with a push-off on one leg, while swinging the legs upward in a fast cartwheel motion into a ninety-degree turn. The leadoff to a number of skills.

  ROUTINE

  A combination of stunts displaying a full range of skills on one apparatus.

  SALTO

  Flip or somersault, with the feet coming up over the head and the body rotating around the axis of the waist.

  SCISSORS

  A combination requirement in a competitive routine on the pommel horse, which combines cuts and undercuts. It begins in a stride support and ends in an opposite stride support.

  SEQUENCE

  Two or more positions or skills that are performed together, creating a different skill or activity.

  “STUCK” LANDING

  Slang term used for when a gymnast executes a landing with correct technique and no movement of the feet.

  TUCK

  A position in which the knees and hips are bent and drawn into the chest; the body is folded at the waist.

  TWIST

  Not to be confused with a salto, a twist occurs when the gymnast rotates around the body’s longitudinal axis, defined by the spine.

  VIRTUOSITY

  The artistry, or the degree of rhythm and harmony, displayed while a movement is executed. In general, the more flowing and seamless a series of skills appears to be, the greater the virtuosity and the higher the score.

  YURCHENKO VAULT

  Named for the Soviet gymnast Natalia Yurchenko, this is a round-off entry onto the board, flic-flac onto the vaulting table, and salto off the vaulting table. The gymnast may twist on the way off.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  So many people have helped me throughout my life and career. There may not be enough space on these pages to thank everyone, but if you have cheered for me, encouraged me, and cared for me somewhere along the wa
y, please know there is plenty of space in my heart for you!

  I am extremely grateful to my 2016 Olympic teammates, Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, and Aly Raisman, and to our alternates, Ashton Locklear, MyKayla Skinner, and Ragan Smith. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for some of the most amazing memories!

  I am also extremely grateful to Marta Karolyi, the National Team coordinator for USA Gymnastics; Rhonda Faehn, senior vice president of the women’s program at USA Gymnastics; Head Coach Aimee Boorman; Coach Mihai Brestyan; Coach Christian Gallardo; Coach Laurent Landi, and, of course, Coach Maggie Haney, who has been my dedicated coach for almost a decade. I can’t thank you all enough for your encouragement, support, and trust in me, and our whole team!

  Many thanks, too, to the entire USAG organization. Continued gratitude to my awesome medical team, including everyone at USAG’s medical office, especially Debbie Van Horn, as well as Dr. David Gentile, Dr. John Fulkerson, Dr. Jidong Sun, Dr. Sunny Shen, Malvin Torralba, Dr. Scott Greenberg, Dr. Michael Lagana, Dr. Olga Belder, Dr. Cavan Brunsden, Dr. Nancy Villa, Dr. James Wolf, Angelo Pollari, and Robert Andrews. You all helped heal me when I was broken. It’s good to be whole again.

  I wish to thank all my friends at MG Elite and Gymland, including Jazzy, Riley, and Emily; all the gym moms (there are too many of you to thank individually, but you know who you are!); my neighbors, forever friends, and family who were always there for me, particularly Laurie, Al, Emily, and Alyssa Liszewski; Anna, Juan, Paloma, and Shannon Rodriguez; the Robert Christian family; the Mercado and Vargas family; the Pinho family; the Deserio family; the LaFranca family; the Vigilante family; the Salazar family; the Graulau family; the Foberg family; the Merriweather family; the LosKamp family; the Wilentz family; Chris and Jackie Green; Diana Rios; Grandma Bruny; Grandma Ita; Tio Jose; the Garcia family; Pastor Dan; and Pastor Angelo. You’ve all had a part in my success.

 

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