"It was something I had to live for 20 years" - MyKayla Skinner opens up about qualities that helped her succeed at Olympics and life

Olympic silver medalist MyKayla Skinner recently shared her secrets to overcoming challenges. The 27-year-old former gymnast also touched on how discipline and perseverance helped her Olympic journey.

Skinner represented the U.S. Olympic Gymnastic Team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won a silver medal in the Vault event. After retiring from professional gymnastics, she and her husband Jonas Harmer welcomed their first baby, Charlotte Jane, in September 2023.

The American gymnast shared how much hard work she put into achieving her Olympic medal, and how her discipline continues to benefit her even after becoming a mother. She told Ferraramedia:

"Most people think of grit and hard work as things you do, but it was something that I had to live for 20 years to achieve my goals."

"Even though I'm not training for the Olympics anymore, I still try to stay consistent with my workouts and take care of my body, especially postpartum and being a new mom," she added.

Skinner also talked about the importance of "visualization" and "breathing" in her training:

"I would try to visualize myself doing my routine before I got to the arena, so when I got there, I knew most of the preparation was done and I could just trust my training and have confidence in myself."

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A look into MyKayla Skinner's performance at Tokyo Olympics 2020

MyKayla Skinner after winning the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, MyKayla Skinner was named a substitute alongside Ashton Locklear and Ragan Smith. Following this, she made her intention clear to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2019 National Championship, she placed second behind Simone Biles and earned a nomination to the Olympic Trials. There, she finished fifth overall and was selected to represent the American Gymnastics Team.

During the qualifications for Tokyo, Skinner finished 11th in the all-around and fourth in the individual vault. However, she did not qualify for either final due to the two-per-country rule, which allows only two athletes from each country to qualify. Biles and Carey were ranked higher than Skinner and thus advanced to the finals.

When Biles withdrew from the vault event final, Skinner seized the lucky chance to compete in her place and finished second with a score of 14.916, securing the silver medal.