STERLING, Mass. – A big sign in the middle of Sterling Gym honors one of its former regulars, U.S. Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik. Just below it, the next generation hones their craft, wondering if they, too, can make it to the games.

"It creates a culture in this gym that, that level can be reached," said Bob Donahue, Nedoroscik's former coach. "It's possible."

Donahue and Liz Gonzalez were Nedoroscik's coaches from the time he was about 6 years old, until he went to Penn State to compete. The two remember his endless amount of energy.

What You Need To Know

  • Worcester native Stephen Nedoroscik will compete at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris

  • Nedoroscik, a pommel horse specialist, got started around the age of 6, and used to attend Sterling Gym 

  • His former coaches say they recognized his talent at a young age, saying it's surreal to see him make the Olympics

  • Both coaches are going to Paris to watch Nedoroscik compete 

"He was a lot to deal with, but he was a good kid, you know?" Gonzalez joked.

"You just saw those little guys over here," Donahue said. "He was one of those. Six years old and bouncing off the walls. A little bit nuts."

Nedoroscik is a Worcester native. He qualified for the Paris games on the pommel horse after coming up just short in the Tokyo games in 2020.

Donahue and Gonzalez say they recognized Nedoroscik's talent at a young age, but it was in high school when his skill on the horse hit the next level. Even during his days in Sterling, the Olympic games were always on his mind.

"When he first started to get older and get into this, he would actually say, 'I want to go to the Olympics,'" Gonzalez recalled. "and we would all kind of like go, 'OK, Steve.'"

"When they're that young, you kind of say, 'yeah, Olympics, right,'" Donahue said.

Donahue and Gonzalez describe it as surreal to actually have it happen.

"The chances of it happening, there are seven athletes selected every four years," said Donahue. "And he's now one of them, one of the seven. Pretty amazing."

Nedoroscik took home a world title on the horse in 2021. He's the first U.S. athlete to achieve such a feat. His former coaches are confident in his ability as he heads to Paris.

"I think he's prepared himself mentally," Donahue said. "He's been on the world stage long enough. He's really focused, laser-focused on this."

Donahue and Gonzalez will not be watching the Olympics on their televisions this year because they're hopping on a plane and flying to see Nedoroscik compete live at the Olympics. This is their first time going to the competition in person.