Mercer Times

Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez recently visited The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to share her insights on personal wellness and achieving balance. Hernandez, who gained fame as part of the gold-winning team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and won an individual silver medal for balance beam, addressed students at Mayo Concert Hall on March 4.

Currently a drama and creative writing student at New York University, Hernandez is pursuing a new goal of becoming a voice actress for animation films. "I love a good story, I don’t really care what medium or form or shape it takes," she stated.

During her talk, Hernandez shared experiences with performance anxiety, injuries, burnout, and moments of joy during her Olympic journey. She encouraged students to take breaks when needed: "If you don’t learn how to rest, your body and your brain are going to pick when that happens for you."

Hernandez emphasized the importance of accepting emotions: “Picture them as little baby birds that you have to foster until they can fly again.” She recounted dealing with performance anxiety by accepting reality and using breathing exercises like the box method, birthday candle breath, and hand-belly breath to manage nerves.

Reflecting on her career shift after injuries kept her from qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Hernandez discussed finding new passions post-gymnastics. "Be patient with yourself, give yourself time, and you will find your footing," she advised.