When you buy through links on the site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more here
It started innocently enough.
When my son was a toddler, gymnastics was one of those activities we tried between the ages of 18 months and 2.5 years. Once he started preschool, our routine shifted, and we moved on to other activities — the usual trial-and-error of childhood interests.
Then came the 2024 Olympics.
We started watching some of the gymnastics events together, and something about it clicked for him. One day, at home, he attempted a cartwheel. It was awkward and unbalanced — the kind of cartwheel 99% of kids do. Then he tried it again. And again. And again. Within a week, his cartwheels were shockingly good. People started turning their heads at the park. Other parents were like, “That kid should be doing gymnastics.”
By total coincidence, one of his close friends had just started gymnastics at the same gym he went to as a toddler. So, we signed him up again. That was the turning point.
Our living room became a vault runway. He turned our Nugget couch into gymnastics equipment and bounced off every soft surface in the house. He wasn’t just flipping or tumbling anymore — he was performing, announcing countries or gymnast names before each routine. On FaceTime, he had my parents and brother commentating and judging his performances. He was all in.
We’d taken him to a UCLA Gymnastics meet the year before, but at the time it was overwhelming. This year? He was beside himself with excitement. Thanks to YouTube, he had already been watching routines from Jordan Chiles — one of the standout stars of UCLA and Team USA. We went to UCLA’s first meet of the season and while he was most excited to see Jordan, he didn’t yet know the rest of the team.
That changed fast.
After the meet, they hosted an autograph session. We waited in line for over an hour and by sheer luck, we were the very last family allowed in before they cut it off. He got to meet every gymnast. When we told them he does gymnastics at home every day, bouncing off the furniture, most of them laughed and acknowledged they did the exact same thing when they were his age. He told Jordan Chiles he loved her gymnastics, and she could not have been more gracious and encouraging.
That meet program became sacred. He brought it to school for show-and-tell. He made us quiz him on every gymnast. Soon he learned all their names — then their heights, what year they were in school, their specialties, their mannerisms. He wasn’t just a fan; he was a student of the sport. He watches the UCLA team intro videos on YouTube, adds the songs to his playlist, and even knows about past UCLA teams too.
Then came the trading cards.
UCLA released gymnastics trading cards, and he had to collect them all. We bought the deluxe box set and saved it as a big reward when he filled up his sticker chart. He carefully organized the cards in a binder and proudly showed them to every visitor. To him, they were rare treasures.
His passion started to grow beyond UCLA. He began watching other college teams. He noticed stylistic differences between programs. He started choosing favorite gymnasts from the meets we watched together. He’s even watched past Olympic highlights, so he’ll talk about Nadia Comăneci in 1976 like it happened yesterday.
But through it all, one name continued to rise above the rest: Simone Biles AKA the GOAT.
He’d always admired Simone — we even gifted him her Golden Book for Hanukkah — but Simone Biles Rising, the docuseries, quickly became his all-time obsession. He watches it with the same enthusiasm that other kids reserve for shows like Paw Patrol, and he knows every episode by heart.
He isn’t just watching gymnastics anymore. He’s studying it. Living it.
Everything revolves around gymnastics — from his toys to his fork. Even bath time with his Mickey and Friends toys turns into the “Mickey Olympics,” complete with rotations and medal ceremonies.
As a parent, it’s been amazing to witness. A year ago, our house was filled with train tracks. Now it’s filled with gym mats and cartwheels. That obsessive spark has simply found a new outlet. He talks about going to the Olympics now — and as a parent, I’m excited to help him chase that dream and see how far he can go.
What’s your child obsessed with right now? Have you seen their passions evolve like this? I’d love to hear your stories or tips on nurturing their interests — drop a comment below!
Leave a Reply