Usually, before I salute the judge, I'm able to just grab the event, and I pray on it, and that really grounds me. For some reason, once I do that, I am able to think clearly, and I'm able to calm down right before I compete.
— Laurie Hernandez
When you're a little kid, and you're, like, thinking about the Olympics, and you just have this big expectation, it just lived up exactly to that.
The best part is when parents come up to me with their kids, and they say, 'My daughter started gymnastics because of you.'
You're supposed to go to prom during high school. I don't go to high school. I homeschool.
The thing that makes me feel the most confident is definitely my smile. I like that my smile and my facial expressions really show what I'm feeling, and my smile is the best way to show that I'm happy.
I love my height because when I'm doing gymnastics, it really benefits the sport - and also, I think being short is kind of cute.
I never look at scores or anything.
I want to make sure I always show off my smile and have a positive attitude the whole time, whether it's during a performance, practice, or doing an interview.
Having the opportunity to go to the U.S. Olympics was great because I was the first Latina in over 30 years to compete in gymnastics at the Olympics.
My greatest inspiration is my coach, Maggie Haney.
Now that I'm doing all these big competitions, I've learned to control my nerves and control my mindset, and I think that's where the maturity comes in.
Being able to wear contacts, you don't have to worry about your glasses falling off or how you look during your beam routine. As soon as they're in, literally two minutes later, you forget that they're on.
I'm glad to be partnered with Orgullosa because I feel that now that I'm able to win a gold medal at the Olympics, win a silver medal, I feel little girls will be able to look up to me, and Hispanics will kind of rise a little more.
If I could go anywhere, I'd love to visit Greece someday because it looks so beautiful, and I'd also love to go to Mexico.
It's really hard to be all serious in the tango and not break into laughter.
Even though I'm a gymnast, I've always loved dancing.
My first week at 'DWTS' was amazing! I definitely fangirled when I walked into the ballroom because I looked at all the judges and where they were sitting, and I was like, 'Wow, that's the official judges' table!'
I feel that, every day, God molds me into someone that He wants me to be. So if that means just, like, talking to teammates and helping them out, or, like, every so often I'll post a Bible verse on Twitter or Instagram.
When I was 5, I was always joking around like, 'Oh man, I wanna go to the Olympics.'
When I came home after 'DWTS,' I had a couple of days, and I had actually given the Mirrorball to my mom. She loves to decorate the house, so I said, 'Here - make it pretty. Do what you want with it!
When I was a little kid, I looked up to other people, so I hope that I can inspire little kids.
Since kindergarten, I was the shortest kid in class. They always put me toward the front in school pictures, because you couldn't see me if I was in the back. It was kind of funny.
My mom decided that she wanted to put the mirror ball trophy on the coffee table in the center of our living room. When people walk in, it's kind of like, 'Uh.' It's a little weird. Maybe we should put it in the corner or something.
I feel I could be a role model to other Hispanic gymnasts interested in the sport, but I also want them to understand the importance of being focused, determined, and not giving up, despite all the struggles.
Something that would probably surprise my fans is that I wear contact lenses, and nobody really knows that because I guess I've never really had to tell anybody about that.
I was an energetic child, always walking on my hands, flipping off of the back of the couch, or jumping up and down on my bed.
People would be surprised to know I had a flip phone until 2015.
I love performing for the crowd. Maybe that's what it is. I'm a crowd pleaser.
Every year, my mom makes sure I have my checkups and everything, which is probably a really good idea. She's great with all that health stuff.
I think a big part of what has helped me move forward with the sport is my family. We're all so close together, and the support system has been amazing.
Coming into 'Dancing With the Stars,' I thought it would be a lot easier.
Dancing is different than gymnastics, but it's a good different, and it's something that I've always wanted to try.
Dancing is so much fun.
Honestly, I don't really know the rules of tango!
The Olympics, as a little kid, it was such a big goal that I created for myself, and I was able to push through and make that happen.
Growing up and seeing Shawn Johnson, for her to call me on the phone, I think my inner child was freaking out!
I do like writing. When I was a little kid, I used to love writing funny, silly stories - and my mom would always encourage it. I don't know why I ever stopped!
Through my life, I do want to inspire others.
I tell everyone that I'm 5 feet-1 inch tall, but I think I'm technically 5 feet. My mom says she's 4 feet 11 inches, and I'm barely taller than her.
My parents have tried not to intrude. They kind of stayed apart from my gymnastics but are very supportive, and that's very helpful as a gymnast to not have your parents say, 'Did you do this today?' and just be very on top of you.
When I perform and the crowd is cheering, there's a ringing noise in my head. I'm just zoned in, and even though I know there are people watching me, all I hear is this ringing inside of me.
When I'm not training, I'm typically doing anything self-care, so, like, bath bombs and face masks, or, like, having a movie night with my family, if that's possible.
On Sundays, I just love to go to church and then relax the whole day!
My athlete idol is Usain Bolt. He's inhumanly fast!
I like history because you can't really progress without knowing what comes before you, so I think it's super fascinating.
Homeschooling is great because it's extremely lenient, and so if there's a day I come home from practice and mentally, I'm just exhausted, I can actually just save the test for the next day if I really have to.
Everyone keeps asking me when I have time to rest. I'll tell you when: I get all my sleep on planes. If the flight is five hours, my nap is five hours! I'll sleep through the whole flight.
I think I still like science and art better, but geometry is a big improvement over algebra.
People have always asked me why my favorite event was floor, and my answer was always, 'Because I love to dance!'
As far as cartoons go, I watched a lot of 'Ed, Edd, n Eddy' when I was a kid.
