Laurie Hernandez

Laurie Hernandez (born 9 June 2000) is an American gymnast who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning Olympic medals. She became the first Olympian born in 2000 or later to win an Olympic medal.

Hernandez has been considered to be one of the favourites to win DWTS season 23.

Biography
Retrieved from abc.com

Laurie Hernandez burst onto the Senior Elite gymnastics scene in 2016, just in time for the Rio Olympic Games where she won Silver in the individual balance beam and secured Gold in the team All-Around. Her goal had always been to make an Olympic team, and her dream came true!

Hernandez started gymnastics at the age of six when she asked her mother to enroll her in the sport, because she had so much energy and always wanted to experience the feeling of flying. She enrolled in Monmouth Gymnastics, where she met her coach, Maggie Haney, and they have been together ever since.

The turning point in Laurie's career happened in 2014 when her progress was stalled due to multiple injuries. She returned stronger than ever by becoming the 2015 U.S. Junior National Champion, and has been on the rise since then.

Other career highlights include All-Around Silver; beam Gold and floor Bronze at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, and Bronze in All-Around, floor, beam, and uneven bar at the 2016 National Championships.

Hernandez is known for her dazzling floor exercise routine, where she has been nicknamed the "human emoji" for her outgoing facial expressions and for her grace and artistry on the balance beam.

Laurie is partnered with Pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy.

IndyCar/BATC
Laurie Hernandez will be part of the Honduras national IndyCar team from the 2017 IndyCar Series until at least 2020. Her teammates are expected to be her fellow DWTS alumni Hélio Castroneves and both Nidoking and Nidoqueen, which both evolve from the Nidorans.
 * Squads