Nickname
Izzy, Belka (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Hobbies
Writing poetry, spending time in nature, meditating. (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Occupation
Athlete, Student
Spoken languages
English
Club
North Shore Rhythmic Gymnastics Center: United States
Coach
Margarita Mamzina [national]
Injuries
She tore the meniscus in her knee in 2019 and took five months to recover from the injury. (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Start sporting career
She took up gymnastics at age eight at the Los Angeles School of Gymnastics in the United States of America.
Reason for taking up the sport
Her coaches encouraged her to switch from artistic gymnastics to rhythmic gymnastics. "I preferred the artistry, complexity, beauty and flexibility of rhythmic gymnastics over artistic gymnastics."
Most memorable sporting achievement
Finishing 10th in the group all-around at the 2019 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Hero / Idol
US artistic gymnast Sam Mikulak. (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Most influential person in career
Her parents, and coach Margarita Mamzina. (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Rituals
"We always sit together as a team in silence for a few seconds before we leave our hotel for competition. Close to when we compete, we have this mascot stuffed animal, Marty the Zebra, that we all hold a limb of and scream “Hey, hey USA, let's go all the way' to get some energy out." (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Philosophy / Motto
"Be where you are, always believe, and trust in yourself, your teammates, and the universe. Do everything you can to the best of your ability so when you look back you have no regrets." (Athlete, 06 Aug 2021)
Additional information
HIATUS
In 2021, after competing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, she decided to take some time away from the sport. From late 2021 through 2022 she focused on her astrophysics studies at the University of California Santa Cruz before announcing her return to the sport in February 2023. "There was a constant whisper deep in my soul that I had more to give and another journey to embark on. I have had an amazing year studying astrophysics. Although it has been an incredible year, deep down I was still feeling a passion and inspiration for gymnastics. My body is still young and healthy and I wanted to see what more I could bring to Team USA. In September [2022] I began training myself just to see how I felt. Once I started I knew I wanted to do this." (Instagram profile, 19 Feb 2023)
Last update : 2024-07-22
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