Dancing with our Happy Valley Star, Stephen Nedoroscik on all things Gymnastics, Penn State, and Dancing with the Stars
STATE COLLEGE — “I miss Happy Valley!” said Olympian and former Penn State gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik during his SPA Day interview at the HUB Robeson Center at Penn State University. He spoke with his former gymnastics coach, Randy Jepson, about his time in State College. “I came here and immediately fell in love with the campus,” Stephen said, sharing fond memories of his time in Happy Valley. He explained that he wanted to attend the college that would make him the best pommel horse gymnast, adding, “And that’s how I made my decision to come here.”
Stephen went on to share more about his experiences at the NCAA World Championship competitions across the globe and his tryouts for both the Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024) Olympics. “Pretty much the entire gymnastics community thought that they didn’t want me on the team,” he said, discussing the public's skepticism about a specialist gymnast representing Team USA in Paris. “But I kind of like the negative energy; it makes me want to prove them wrong.” And prove them wrong he did—Stephen left the Paris Olympics with the first bronze medal for the Team USA men’s gymnastics team in 16 years.
Only two days after his team won the bronze medal, Dancing with the Stars reached out to him with a proposal. They wanted him on the show and gave him just one day to respond. His overnight stardom brought him to one of the most popular television programs in the world. “I really have no experience,” Stephen admitted. “…The only dance experience I have, fun fact, is THON 2017.” Despite his lack of experience, he was determined to rise to the challenge, even if his mom said, “Stevie, you can’t do that! You don’t know how to dance!” Stephen worked with his partner, Rylee Arnold, an American dancer, to improve his dancing skills. He praised her, saying, “She is seriously so positive, motivating—she really is just a beaming bright light of joy.”
Stephen’s dedication to Dancing with the Stars earned him and Rylee fourth place overall in season 33. “The amount of hours and work I put into Dancing with the Stars was unreal. I danced more in 2024 than I did gymnastics,” he said. “One day, I even clocked in 13 hours. It felt like I was training for the Olympics again.”
The Dancing with the Stars tour began this January, captivating audiences across the country with its incredible live performances. Stephen shared during his interview that he returned for the tour because “It is just seriously a blast.” The tour arrives in State College tonight (January 22, 2025) at the Bryce Jordan Center, and Stephen can’t wait to see you there!