Winning two Olympic medals certainly warrants some time off — and that’s exactly what gymnast, Laurie Hernandez, did after competing in the 2016 Olympics.“I had been doing gymnastics for about 11 years straight,” the gold medalist tells PEOPLE while opening up about her new co-hosting gig onAmerican Ninja Warrior Junior. “The Olympics had been my goal ever since I was a little kid and after that was over, I think I needed a little break from gymnastics — you know physically, mentally and just time to go out and see the world a little bit.”The two-year hiatus gave her time to mature, she explains, and allowed her to focus on herself. But she says she “felt it in her heart” to come back and has been in training for the past few months, with the goal of competing in the 2020 Olympics.Laurence Griffiths/Getty“That break was really helpful coming back into gymnastics,” Hernandez says. “It’s nice to come back with a different headspace and a different mentality.”“I think I see things a little bit differently now and even my body has changed and it’s for the better,” she adds.Lars Baron/GettyAnd for the 2020 Olympics, her hope is to be back and competing in all four events, but for now she’s taking things one step at a time — relying on muscle memory to remember the basics, and help her skills kick back in before she continues into more technical training.She’s excited to see what she’ll bring to the table this time around and has a new floor routine in the works.“It’s definitely a little more serious, different from my usual style,” she reveals. “It’s still very playful, but I think seeing the tone of my routines and how they’ve played out, it’s different and I think people are going to like it.”Laurence Griffiths/GettyThe time off also gave Hernandez the chance to work on new projects, such as publishing two new books, competing onDancing with the Stars,and now co-hostingAmerican Ninja Warrior Juniorwith Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila.In an exclusive new clip, Hernandez tackles the course, herself, making it to the end without incident.“I think I was really drawn to the fact that kids were going out there and pursuing their dreams and that I could be a part of that,” she tells PEOPLE of joining the show. Connecting with the junior ninjas and getting to bond with them has been her favorite part of the whole experience.The show has a new episode premiering this Saturday, February 23, at 7 P.M. EST on NBC’sUniversal Kids.
Winning two Olympic medals certainly warrants some time off — and that’s exactly what gymnast, Laurie Hernandez, did after competing in the 2016 Olympics.
“I had been doing gymnastics for about 11 years straight,” the gold medalist tells PEOPLE while opening up about her new co-hosting gig onAmerican Ninja Warrior Junior. “The Olympics had been my goal ever since I was a little kid and after that was over, I think I needed a little break from gymnastics — you know physically, mentally and just time to go out and see the world a little bit.”
The two-year hiatus gave her time to mature, she explains, and allowed her to focus on herself. But she says she “felt it in her heart” to come back and has been in training for the past few months, with the goal of competing in the 2020 Olympics.
Laurence Griffiths/Getty
“That break was really helpful coming back into gymnastics,” Hernandez says. “It’s nice to come back with a different headspace and a different mentality.”
“I think I see things a little bit differently now and even my body has changed and it’s for the better,” she adds.
Lars Baron/Getty
And for the 2020 Olympics, her hope is to be back and competing in all four events, but for now she’s taking things one step at a time — relying on muscle memory to remember the basics, and help her skills kick back in before she continues into more technical training.
She’s excited to see what she’ll bring to the table this time around and has a new floor routine in the works.
“It’s definitely a little more serious, different from my usual style,” she reveals. “It’s still very playful, but I think seeing the tone of my routines and how they’ve played out, it’s different and I think people are going to like it.”
The time off also gave Hernandez the chance to work on new projects, such as publishing two new books, competing onDancing with the Stars,and now co-hostingAmerican Ninja Warrior Juniorwith Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila.
In an exclusive new clip, Hernandez tackles the course, herself, making it to the end without incident.
“I think I was really drawn to the fact that kids were going out there and pursuing their dreams and that I could be a part of that,” she tells PEOPLE of joining the show. Connecting with the junior ninjas and getting to bond with them has been her favorite part of the whole experience.
The show has a new episode premiering this Saturday, February 23, at 7 P.M. EST on NBC’sUniversal Kids.
source: people.com
