Olympic Gold Medalist Laurie Hernandez Uses Her Platform To Inspire Others To Never Give Up
- 4 years ago
#NYCVIBE is checking on Olympic athletes who have changed their training routines to now focus on Tokyo 2021 instead. Last September, Laurie invited NYC VIBE out to watch her training session in Costa Mesa, CA where afterwards we sat down and talked about her goals, ambitions, injuries, focus and being a children’s book author.
The 19 year-old New Jersey native captured the hearts of audiences across the globe during the 2016 Summer Olympics competing as a member of the U.S. Women’s gymnastics team that became known as the “Final Five.” Laurie took home a Gold medal and a Silver medal, thrusting her into the international spotlight as an Olympic champion.
Hernandez set off a social media craze when she was captured telling herself “I Got This,” moments before stepping out to compete. The clip instantly went viral on the internet, effectively immortalizing the moment forever in the form of a meme. This moment ultimately inspired Laurie’s approach to her newfound platform as a role model - motivating her to write a memoir called I Got This: To Gold and Beyond and a children’s book called She Got This. Hernandez wanted to inspire and encourage others by sharing her stories of overcoming struggle and imparting her life mantra - “Never Give Up.”
NYC VIBE first caught up with Laurie when she received the coveted Jefferson Awards in Midtown Manhattan and a celebrity awards gala.
The 19 year-old New Jersey native captured the hearts of audiences across the globe during the 2016 Summer Olympics competing as a member of the U.S. Women’s gymnastics team that became known as the “Final Five.” Laurie took home a Gold medal and a Silver medal, thrusting her into the international spotlight as an Olympic champion.
Hernandez set off a social media craze when she was captured telling herself “I Got This,” moments before stepping out to compete. The clip instantly went viral on the internet, effectively immortalizing the moment forever in the form of a meme. This moment ultimately inspired Laurie’s approach to her newfound platform as a role model - motivating her to write a memoir called I Got This: To Gold and Beyond and a children’s book called She Got This. Hernandez wanted to inspire and encourage others by sharing her stories of overcoming struggle and imparting her life mantra - “Never Give Up.”
NYC VIBE first caught up with Laurie when she received the coveted Jefferson Awards in Midtown Manhattan and a celebrity awards gala.