As popular as gymnastics is in the United States, there are not that many college programs that fund men's gymnastics as a varsity sport. The University of Michigan is one of the few that do.
Several Michigan athletes were part of the U.S. team that won a bronze medal, ending a 16 year dry spell for men's artistic gymnastics. The whole team was extremely charismatic and so fun to watch, perhaps most of all Michigan Junior Frederick Richard.
His TikTok and Instagram pages were filled with videos talking through an experience of dreams. And it's that content that has inspired parents and kids alike to join gymnastics. A goal Richard has held from the beginning.
"I feel like gymnastics made me," Richard said. "I stumbled upon it at two years old and it has built me to who I am today. Now, I feel like I want to build gymnastics to the potential I know it can be, which is five times bigger and changing other people's lives."
Post-Olympics, Richard is back on campus and feeling nostalgic.
"It's peaceful," Richard said. "It's like I come back, everything's calm again. I get to do what I've done my whole life and love doing train for hours and hours and hours and kind of just fall in love with the skill and and challenging myself."
Hear Frederick Richard's full conversation with April Baer on the Stateside podcast.
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or YouTube Music today.]
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Frederick Richard, University of Michigan Men's Gymnastics athlete
