Not many people can say they have competed in the Olympic Games. Only one person can say they were the youngest gymnast on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team in the 2016 Summer Games. During her visit to Davidson on April 1, 24-year-old Laurie Hernandez, Olympic gold and silver medalist, winner of “Dancing with the Stars” and The New York Times best-selling author, proved that while she does indeed have incredible abilities, she is more than just her accomplishments, something many Davidson students can relate to.
Faculty, staff and Davidson community members eagerly awaited Hernandez’s arrival in a darkened Duke Family Performance Hall. Union Board Speakers Chair Emma Busch ‘27 introduced the highly-anticipated speaker, but still, for a few moments after, the stage lay empty. Just as whispers turned to murmurs, Hernandez peeked her head out from behind the curtain and ran onto the stage. Throughout her TED talk-style conversation, Hernandez walked the audience through her life and her experiences with mental health as an elite gymnast, during which her knack for performance shined through.
A current drama major and creative writing minor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Hernandez engaged the audience with her quick wit and her ability to reference popular memes and trends. “Mama a girl behind you,” Hernandez said in her opening remarks, referring to a trending video among social media platforms such as TikTok. The majority of Hernadez’s talk focused on her journey growing up in the world of elite athletics, though she also dove into life post-gymnastics as a dedicated student and lover of writing and literature. “Am I gonna say it? Yeah, I’m gonna say it. I read so much Wattpad growing up,” Hernandez replied when asked about her favorite childhood book series. This comment about Wattpad, known to be an online hub of fanfiction and young adult romance, sparked a ripple of laughter and applause from the crowd.
Prior to the main event, Union Board members dined with Hernandez at the Nancy Blackwell Alumni House on Main Street. Alex Marron ‘27, Union Board publicity chair, was among this group of students. “I think the best part was getting to talk with her one-on-one and just seeing how down-to-earth she is and willing to meet everyone and share her experiences,” Marron shared.
Busch, who organized the event, also appreciated Hernandez’s ability to easily connect with Davidson students. “I felt like Laurie meshed really well and her energy was [a] Davidson student [vibe].”
Despite being a well-known figure nationwide, Hernandez aimed to connect with Davidson through a student perspective. “One of the most exciting things about being able to speak at different colleges is talking to people around a similar age range and being able to connect with people, even though our life paths may look very different,” Hernandez shared.
Though Hernandez cultivated a light-hearted atmosphere with the audience during the talk, she also addressed more serious topics and aspects of her life story, which included mental health struggles as a young, female athlete.
“The most important thing is that people know that they’re not alone and that whether it’s going to the Olympics or going to college or being a theater major or a writer or whatever it is, all of that comes with its own set of struggles. And the entire point is to normalize that and to make new friends along the way. And I feel your college has done a great job at that,” Hernadez said.
Following the talk, a Q&A session moderated by Amaya Daniel ‘25 allowed audience members to engage directly with Hernandez. Daniel, an accomplished athlete on the Davidson College women’s swimming and diving team, described the atmosphere cultivated by Hernandez throughout the Q&A. “I think my interview was really comfortable with her. Before I went on the stage, me, her and Emma had a dance party to get rid of nerves […] which was really fun. I appreciated being able to bounce ideas off her beforehand at the dinner and the banter between the two of us on the stage. I didn’t feel afraid to ask a question [because] she was so real and honest and down to earth.”
As a college student herself, Hernandez gave various snippets of advice to Davidson students throughout the Q&A. “If you give 110% every single day, you’ll be burnt out by Thursday and then you have nothing to give and you’re gonna have to crash and sleep it out for the rest of the weekend and attempt to pick yourself up by Monday and then give 110%. That’s not working smart. It’s not,” Hernandez explained.
However, college-aged students were not the only recipients of Hernandez’s advice. Among the crowd sat young girls from the Town of Davidson, eagerly waiting to ask questions. “It was really sweet to see local young girls in particular from gymnastics studios nearby come and get really excited to meet Laurie,” Assistant Director of Student Activities Candace Mulherin remarked.
Busch also noticed the excitement of younger members of the audience. “The little girls who were sitting in the front row […] actually might have been the top moment for me because I think a lot of them are gymnasts too, and it was just really cool to have a whole range of people there.”
When answering these girls’ questions, Hernandez ensured they were heard, making clear eye contact and speaking in a gentle tone. “There might come a point in time where you might start to realize you’re just a little different from everybody around you, and sometimes it feels a little lonely. And I’m here to tell you, there’s nothing wrong with being different,” Hernandez shared with one young girl in the crowd in response to a question.
“So you could take it as an analogy, my story. Sometimes it’s not always about being the best at some things. Sometimes just being there is actually enough,” Hernandez concluded.
Anna Farmer ‘27 is an environmental science major from Falmouth, ME and can be reached for comment at [email protected].
