Hillary Heron, a young 19-year-old Panamanian gymnast, has become a rising star in world artistic gymnastics by being the first athlete, after the legendary Simone Biles, to successfully execute the complicated element known as “Biles I” (extended double deadlift with a half twist at the end) in the last World Artistic Gymnastics Championship (October 2023) and now the student wants to surpass the teacher at the Paris 2024 Games.
Heron, who fell in love with gymnastics at age 4 after watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics on television, has worked tirelessly to achieve her dream of competing in the Olympics. Thanks to her outstanding performance at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, Heron managed to obtain a nominal quota to represent Panama in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “Representing Panama in the Olympic Games has been my dream since I was a little girl”, has said the gymnast this week at Olympics.com.
“My parents had signed me up for ballet, dance, tennis…. They wanted me to find something I liked and when I was 4 years old I watched the Beijing Olympics on TV and saw the gymnastics, the girls with sparkles, leotards and I was fascinated and said: “Dad, I want to do gymnastics”. They investigated where I could do it, because in Panama there were not as many possibilities as there are today, and since I set foot in the gym I have never left again.”, has explained.
The Panamanian gymnast, who became an “all around” gymnast demonstrating her skill on the four apparatuses of artistic gymnastics, has received the support of her family and friends on her arduous path to the top. Heron has expressed her deep gratitude for all the people who have helped make her Olympic dream a reality.
Now, Heron is preparing with determination to shine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she will seek to further emulate the achievements of her idol, Simone Biles, and establish herself as one of the new stars of world artistic gymnastics. “I know that behind me are 4 million Panamanians”. Their dreams and flights are unstoppable and in the French capital this summer they will see how far they can go.
