JAYLA HANG AND SIMONE ROSE: U.S. UP-AND-COMING GYMNASTICS DUO ON SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, LA2028 DREAMS (OLYMPICS.COM)
Jayla Hang and Simone Rose don’t have to look too far to find someone who understands exactly what they’re going through as they pursue their gymnastics dreams.
That’s because the two U.S. gymnasts train side-by-side at the Seattle-area gym Pacific Reign with head coach Cale Robinson, and each says the other has helped push them higher.
The pair has marked themselves as two of the sport's up-and-comers: “It’s honestly really nice to have someone to relate to and know that you’re not along going through this,” said Hang in an interview with Olympics.com this week. “I’m thankful to have a person always there and go through [everything] with. I know not everybody gets to do that.”
Adds Rose, “We can really relate a lot in the sport because a lot of people don’t have a teammate right beside them like that. It’s really inspiring to have someone else doing this with me. I’m not really alone.”
The duo is set to make the senior international debut for Team USA later this month at the Pacific Rim Championships, set for 27-28 April in Cali, Colombia.
The rigours of high-level training can take a toll, but both agree having the other “in it” with them has helped ease the path forward.
“I feel like help each other up and make each other feel more positive,” said Rose.
“At practice when one person isn’t having the best day, just seeing the other person and being able to talk to them and lift them back up [makes a difference],” echoed Hang. “It’s like, ‘Oh, I got this.’ Just telling each other that we can do it.”
