Meet Olympic gymnast Hezly Rivera's parents who moved from the Dominican Republic to the USA

Modified Jul 29, 2024 17:55 GMT

Hezly Rivera is a part of the USA gymnastics' team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The gymnast is just 16-years-old and is making her Olympic debut alongside some of the world's most renowned gymnasts, including Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles. She started pursuing gymnastics when she was just five, and one of the major reasons behind her success is her parents, Heidy Ruiz and Henry Rivera.

The Paris Olympics commenced on July 26 and are currently underway. During the gymnastics qualifying round, Rivera scored a 13.900 in the uneven bars and wasn't too far away from Simone Biles and Suni Lee. She also scored 12.633 in balance beam, claiming 26th place. Biles and Lee, on the other hand scored 14.733 and 14.033, finishing second and third, respectively.

The 16-year-old gymnast's parents are extremely proud to witness their daughter compete on the biggest stage. Let's dive deep and learn more about the parents of the Olympian, Hezly Rivera.

Who are Hezley Rivera's parents?

Hezley Rivera is the daughter of Henry Rivera and Heidy Ruiz, who have always been a major support for her daughter's career. They moved to Texas in 2022 so that Rivera could get coached by Valeri Liukin, who also trained American gymnast Gabby Douglas.

Who is Hezly Rivera's mother?

Hezly Rivera is the daughter of Heidy Ruiz, who is originally from the Dominician Republic, but moved to the USA. Along with Hezly, she has two more children, Carhelis and Hanly Rivera. Since the early days of her daughter's gymnastics career, Heidy has been a major support for he and always motivates her daughter before she goes out on the podium by saying:

"Be brave, be confident, she got this."

Who is Hezley Rivera's father?

Hezley Rivera's father is Henry Rivera, who is a computer engineer. He graduated from the Stevens Institute of Technology in 2002, and began his career as a computer engineer at Medidata Solutions. He is currently at the same company, working as a senior director of test enginnering. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he moved to the US and pursued his studies at Union High School.

He is extremely close with his daughter and has always been there to support her in her gymnastics career. When Hezly Rivera's name was announced among the five gymnasts selected for the Paris Olympics, he burst into tears after she walked on the platform. He teared up with pride and said:

"I couldn't hold back. We're still pinching ourselves."

Rivera's father was a huge Kobe Bryant fan, and he used the basketball legend's lessons to inspire his daughter to move forward in her sport.