Hezly Rivera Ethnicity

Hezly Rivera is an American Olympic athlete who is an artistic gymnast. She came into the limelight by participating in gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She was born on 4 June 2008 in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA. Aged 16, she earned tons of medals including a silver medal at the 2023 Junior World Championships.

Quick Info

Real NameHezly Rivera
Age16 [as of 2024]
BirthplaceHackensack, NJ, USA
EducationPursuing high school
Height5 feet 2 inches [approx.]
Weight48 kg [approx.]

Ethnicity

Hezly Rivera is of Dominican heritage. She is a religious person who follows Christianity. She added the text “God First” and a bible reference to her Instagram bio.

Her parents are Henry Rivera and Heidy Fati Ruiz. Her father Henry hails from Santo Domingo.

She was raised in Oradell, a city a few miles away from her birthplace. Hezly is the eldest child of her parents and has two younger siblings namely Hanly Rivera and Carhelis Abreu.

Personal Life

Hezly is pursuing a high school education through online mode from Connection Academy. She’d finish high school graduation in 2026.

She currently resides in Plano, Texas.

Career

Hezly Rivera kickstarted her athletic journey with gymnastics at the mere age of 6. She was introduced to the sport when she attended a birthday party at a gymnastics facility and her parents were approached by fellow staff members.

She initially received training from the now-suspended coach Maggie Haney. Upon her suspension in April 2020, Rivera began training with retired gymnast Valeri Liukin.

Her first national appearance was at the 2018 Hopes Classic. She was placed in 6th place in the 10-11 All-Around. That year, she also competed at the 2018 GK Hopes Championships in Ohio.

Following that, she didn’t make any major appearances over the next three years. Her comeback was with the 2022 Winter Cup. Upon placing 3rd, she eventually made her debut with the 2022 DTB Pokal Cup. The 5-member US team won gold in a junior-level event.

In 2023, she was a part of the US team at the Junior World Championships. The 3-member team finished second with a total score of 102.198. She secured gold all around in the junior women’s event.

She is one of the five women representing the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics for gymnastics. As she lacks international experience with other team members, she received backlash online but was even out by tons of support from other people.

Unknown Facts

  • She is the first-ever Dominican American to compete at the Olympics.
  • She has 70k followers on Instagram.

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Photo credit: @hezrivera – Instagram.