Hezly Rivera Credits her Early Success to her Supportive Hispanic Parents
Hezly Rivera, one of the talented American artistic gymnasts preparing for her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, proudly embraces her Hispanic heritage.
Rivera is the youngest athlete in the U.S. delegation, who is in the team representing the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Hezly is currently in the media highlights for her exceptional performance in the ongoing Olympic Games Paris 2024.
She gained significant media attention by beating Simone Biles on the beam and becoming Team USA’s youngest gymnast.
Youngest Olympic Athlete Hezly Rivera Brings Pride to Her Parents
Born on June 4, 2008, in Hackensack, New Jersey, Hezly Rivera was raised by her parents, Heidy Ruiz and Henry Rivera.
Both of Hezly Rivera’s parents are from the Dominican Republic and follow the Hispanic ethnicity, reflecting their family origin and culture.
Additionally, her father, Henry, is a professional engineer, and details about her mother are not publicly available.
Even though Hezly was born in the United States, her ancestry is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, reflecting her Hispanic culture.
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Moreover, her parents seemed to have moved to the United States for educational purposes, which helped Hezly shape her life in Gymanystic.
Hezly attributed her early success to her parents’ unwavering support. In an interview with NBC, she expressed shared her heartfelt feelings about her family, stating;
“They are my number one support system and always supporting me in life and in school. They are always there for everything and I couldn’t be more grateful,”
She also mentioned that her parents made significant sacrifices for her, including relocating to Texas to help her pursue opportunities and develop her gymnastics skills.
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Moreover, Hezly started her gymnastics journey in 2013 after being inspired by a friend’s birthday party at a gymnastics facility.
Pursuing her passion, Hezly won her first senior division gold on beam at the 2024 Winter Cup, and at that same competition, she won bronze on the floor exercise and all-around.
Furthermore, while working on her skills, Hezly has succeeded in making her parents proud by representing the U.S. at the 2024 Summer Olympics alongside Simone Biles, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Sunisa Lee.
Additional Information
- Hezly has two siblings: an older sister, Carhelis, and a younger brother, Hanly.
- Rivera started her training at renowned WOGA Gymnastics in Plano, Texas, under the guidance of Valeri Liukin, a former Olympic gymnast and coach.
- Hezly made her international debut at the City of Jesolo Trophy, where she helped the USA win bronze behind Italy and Brazil.
