Which religion does MyKayla Skinner follow? All about the Olympic silver medalist and her faith

MyKayla Skinner, who has been in the news recently for her controversial statements about the current 2024 Paris Olympic gymnastics team is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Skinner is a former American gymnast, who represented her country in two editions of the Olympics, the 2016 Rio Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Hailing from Gilbert, Arizona, Skinner is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose headquarters are in Salt Lake, Utah. After finishing in fourth place in the all-around event at the 2016 Olympic Trials, Skinner boarded the flight to Brazil as an alternate, along with Ashton Locklear and Ragan Smith.

Four years later at the 2024 Olympic Trials, she secured fifth place in the all-around event. Although her name was missing from the four-member team, she earned a spot to compete in the individual apparatus event. Skinner successfully grabbed the silver medal in the vault event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"Having God close by has really helped me to keep going" - MyKayla Skinner opened up on how her relationship with God helped her cruise in gymnastics

MyKayla Skinner poses for a portrait at the USOC Rio Olympics Shoot at Quixote Studios in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Getty Images)

MyKayla Skinner secured two gold and two silver medals at the two editions of the NCAA Championships, including 2017 and 2018. However, Skinner opted to step back from competing at the NCAA Championships to focus her attention on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Trials.

In an interview with Church News in 2019, Skinner opened up on her relationship with God, emphasizing the strength she drew on to navigate the adverse situation she found herself in.

“I received the answer that I should try (to make the Olympic team) and have no regrets,” Skinner said. “I can go back to school and finish my degree. But with the Olympics, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Having God close by has really helped me to keep going and get answers. The challenges in life can get so hard at times. But I feel like you can’t give up until the very end. You have to keep pushing for those goals and dreams," the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist added

She secured second place in the vault event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, collecting a total of 14.916 points, finishing behind Rebeca Andrade (15.083) and surpassing Seojeong Yeo (14.733).

MyKayla Skinner has been involved in multiple controversies, including posting a doctored photo of Gabby Douglas after the 2016 Olympic Trials and her confrontations with judges at a meet against UCLA. The latest controversy regarding her comments on the current Olympic gymnastics team is detailed here.