Laurie Hernandez Biography

Fast Facts

• Enrolled in ballet classes before her parents switched her to gymnastics at the age of 5
• Originally went by her birth name Lauren, but changed it to Laurie because too many girls in her gymnastics class were named Lauren
• Finished second in the junior all-around competition at the 2013 P&G Gymnastics Championships and won the event in 2015
• Injuries, including a tear of the patellar ligament in her right knee, caused her to sit out competition for all of 2014
• Began her senior career in March of 2016 at the City of Jesolo Trophy competition in Italy, winning a gold medal in balance beam, silver in vault and bronze in the all-around
• Won the balance beam event at the 2016 U
• S
• Olympic Team Trials and placed second in the all-around
• Named to Team USA for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and is the youngest member of the five-woman squad
• Won a gold medal as part of the women's team and an individual silver on balance beam at the 2016 Olympics in Rio
• Became the youngest winner of Dancing with the Stars when she took home the trophy in season 23, with pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy