Growing up, it was kind of a struggle being small, since everyone would make fun of you – except for when it came to hide and seek: that’s the only advantage I ever had!
I would be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I wish I could go to prom.’ But then I think, ‘You know what? A lot of people can’t say they’ve ever done what I do – they’ll never have this opportunity.’
Mentally, I have to get my body and mind in the right place before I start the routine, but once into the zone, it’s like I turn on a switch. I envision myself doing the same thing for the Olympic Games.
When I was younger, I thought every kid was adopted because that’s all I’ve known. I have everything I need, so I never felt the need to have answers for what happened.
I started gymnastics when I was six years old. I was at day care, and they took us on a field trip to a gym club, Bannon’s Gymnastix in Houston, and that’s how I got started.
That’s what I love about how diverse our team is – we have such different body types, yet together, we build the best team there is. I think we’re stronger together than individually.
