Backed by Olympic gold and a Dancing with the Stars mirrorball trophy, Laurie Hernandez has achieved a lot in her young life and already become a top Hispanic heritage speaker. Even with those accomplishments, she had her eyes on making a second Olympic team this summer.

Unfortunately, her competition dreams were dashed when she pulled out the U.S. gymnastics finals  after hyperextending her knee during balance beam warm ups. She stated she had "a bone bruise, fluid, a cyst, and torn meniscus" as a result of the poor dismount in a July 6 tweet.

Hernandez said she received lots of love and well-wishes for her recovery and, despite the setback, she had a plan in place to get to Tokyo another way. She was offered a position working as a studio analyst for Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform, as part of the Olympic coverage team.

"Originally I was like, 'Am I strong enough to do that? That's gonna really hurt,'" Hernandez said. "But you know at the end of the day, I did want to try out my commentating shoes and I think it would be kind of great for future stuff, too."

When asked if she had any reservations about her position with NBC, Hernandez explained that it is not about her opinion. She went on to say that her role is about bringing insight that few others have.

After her Tokyo plans, Hernandez wishes to attend NYU, one of the country’s most prestigious performing arts colleges. Her bucket list also includes producing and directing, while she will still be called on as a motivational and Hispanic heritage speaker.

However, Hernandez must first make it through her second Olympics and she has a straightforward goal.

“I just want the Games to be as fun for those listening as it would be for either us competing or us letting everybody know what's happening.”

To book top speaker Laurie Hernandez for a motivational appearance or Hispanic Heritage Month event, get in touch with the agents at Athlete Speakers today. You can fill out our Online Booking Request Form or call 800-916-6008 and receive a quick response. Let us help you make your next event your best event yet!