10 Things to Know About Hezly Rivera, Team USA’s Youngest Gymnast

And that’s where Rivera stepped up: “My favorite event is bars,” she tells SELF. “It feels like I’m flying. The swing of it just comes very naturally to me.” She came in fourth at that event at the Trials, behind Olympians Lee, Biles, and Chiles, and showed that she can put up a solid routine that the team can count on in Paris.

6. She’ll be the youngest Olympian on Team USA.

Team USA’s Paris roster includes three 16-year-olds—Rivera, skateboarder Paige Heyn, and sprinter Quincy Wilson (the youngest male ever to join the Olympic track team)—but Rivera nabs the honor of being the youngest of the trio. According to NBC Sports, International Gymnastics Federation rules require female athletes to have turned 16 in the Olympic year in order to be eligible to compete there.

7. She’s at the gym six days a week.

Rivera trains Monday through Saturday, and doubles up on Mondays through Thursdays. During her summer schedule, practice runs from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m., and then again from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. During the school year—Rivera attends high school classes online—the second session goes from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. instead. She has just one workout on Friday and Saturdays, so she’s done by noon.

“I think it’s a tough, hard week, but Saturday and Sunday are definitely good days to recoup,” Rivera says. “And honestly, I love our schedule.”

8. When she needs to unwind, Rivera turns to baking.

Rivera admittedly doesn’t have a lot of time to head to the kitchen, but one thing she always enjoys is baking. “I only do box mixes, which I know isn’t really baking, but it’s still fun,” she says. Her faves? Red velvet and chocolate cakes. She only bakes once every few months, but still, “it’s a nice hobby for me.”

Sometimes, though, she’s in the mood for something even more chill: “I like to spend time with my dog and lay down and just rest, and then take a good shower and have a good dinner and just recover and recoup,” she says.

9. She can get good sleep anywhere.

Adjusting to the time difference in Paris might make quality shut-eye tricky, but Rivera isn’t too worried that she’ll be tossing and turning. “I get good sleep while I’m traveling or away from home,” she says. Sticking to a routine helps—and so does kicking gymnastics out of her mind.

“I always pray before I go to bed, and that helps me a lot,” Rivera says. “I also try to not think about gymnastics, because thinking about it all the time is not good and it’s overwhelming.” She’ll usually fire up some tunes, watch something on YouTube, or get some friends together to play cards.

“Any games to get my mind off of the gym is very helpful,” she says. “I just try to go to sleep with the blank headspace and not overthink.”

10. She’s excited to have Olympic veterans in her corner.

Rivera will be the only gymnast on the Olympic team who hasn’t already gone to the Games, and she considers the opportunity to learn from all of them “the best thing ever.”

“They’ve been through all of this before and they know what to expect already,” she says. “So I think they’re just going to be such great role models for me during my first Games.”

Now that she’s heading to the Olympic stage, chances are she’s going to make the swap from role model seeker to role model herself. And she has some advice she’d like to share with the young crop of gymnasts who may be watching.

“Believe in yourself all the time and keep dreaming big, because when you work hard, you can achieve anything that you want in life,” she says. “But always remember to have fun with what you’re doing as well.”

Additional reporting by Lauren Alberti.

SELF is your one-click source for all things Summer Olympics. Read our latest coverage of the Paris Games here.

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