<p>Since bringing home the Gold and Silver medals from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Laurie has won the coveted Mirror ball trophy on <em>Dancing with the Stars </em>Season 23 and published her first <em>NYT</em> Best Selling book titled<em> I Got This: To Gold and Beyond</em></p><p> In 2018, she released a <em>NYT </em>Best Seller children’s picture book<em> She’s Got This,</em> and Mattel created a Laurie Hernandez <em>Shero </em>Barbie to honor her and her Latina heritage. She has served as the KPMG Literacy Champion to promote readership as a path to leadership by encouraging youth through literacy-building efforts; and to help advance equity and access to opportunity for all children across the nation.</p><p>Laurie is a second generation American, as her grandparents are from Puerto Rico, making her the first U.S. born Latina to make the U.S. team since 1984. She has been a gymnastics analyst for NBC since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and will continue through Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Her live commentary at the 2024 Olympics in Paris garnered her rapturous praise from the entertainment community and viewers.</p><p>Laurie has completed her college degree, studying drama at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in NYC, as acting and screenwriting are her future career ambitions. In March, 2026, she will have her Broadway debut in & Juliet. Throughout the year, she travels nationwide speaking on college campuses about following one’s passion in life; and is a fierce advocate for prioritizing Mental Health by learning to expand understanding and finding ways to support ourselves, family and friends. In addition, Laurie has become an outspoken champion for children’s rights and was named a UNICEF USA Ambassador in 2023.</p>
Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist, Advocate for Positive Body Image
<ul><li><strong>I’ve Got This</strong></li></ul><p>2016 gold medal–winning Olympic gymnast and <i>Dancing with the Stars</i> champion Laurie Hernandez shares her story in her own words.</p><p>At sixteen years old, Laurie Hernandez made many of her dreams come true—and yet was only the beginning for this accomplished athlete. A Latina Jersey girl, Laurie saw her life take a dramatic turn when she qualified and was chosen to be a part of the US Olympic gymnastics team. After winning gold in Rio as part of the Final Five, Laurie also earned an individual silver medal for her performance on the balance beam. Nicknamed “the Human Emoji” for her wide-eyed and animated expressions, Laurie continued entertaining while competing and winning on the hit reality TV show <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>.</p><p>By turns poignant and funny, Laurie’s story is about growing up with the dream of becoming an Olympian and what it took to win gold. She talks about her loving family, her rigorous training, her intense sacrifices, and her amazing triumphs. A fierce advocate for mental health awareness and access to resources for all, Laurie speaks about her own personal experiences and how she took charge to challenge the myths and stereotypes surrounding mental issues.</p>