Interview With Alexis Reiner

How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport?

I started gymnastics when I was 6 years old. My mom had done gymnastics growing up, so my parents thought I’d give it a try because of the discipline and life lessons it teaches. We had tried just about every other sport and activity, but I got bored with all of them. Gymnastics was different—it challenged me every day, and I fell in love with always having something new to learn.

What is your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained?

My favorite meet to this point has been Hopes Championships. I don’t have a least favorite event, but favorite is a tie between bars and beam.

3.Gymnastics is incredibly mental. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? How did you deal with nerves, pressure, and getting in your head or temporarily "losing" a skill?

My biggest struggle has been getting injured in the middle of my junior elite season, right when I was gaining momentum and putting in upgrades for Classics. It was difficult to go from feeling like everything was coming together to suddenly having to step away. The mental side of the recovery was the hardest—learning to stay positive, trust the process, and keep believing in myself even when progress felt slow. Looking back, that experience made me stronger, more grateful, and more resilient than I ever was before. I make mindset work a consistent part of my training. I meet with a mindset coach (Ariana LeBlanc-The Mindful Gymnast) weekly and I focus on what I can control each day, stay in the present moment, use my mental cues and trust my training.

What was your biggest accomplishment in the sport, and did you ever want to do college gymnastics?

So far it has been making Hopes National Team and qualifying Jr Elite this season. I just finished 8th grade, so starting to think more about what that future path looks like, but right now focusing on elite gymnastics.

5.How did you cope when your time as a gymnast ended, and did you transition into coaching or are you currently still competing?

I am still competing.

Who was your gymnastics role model, and what advice would you give to someone starting the sport for the first time?

Jade Carey Gymnastics is a tough sport, and it only gets more challenging as you move up. There will be hard days when you want to give up, but don’t. Keep pushing through because the lessons you learn are worth it. Gymnastics will teach you discipline, resilience, confidence, and how to overcome challenges—not just in the gym, but in life.

What two goals you want to achieve in the sport of gymnastics?

Jr/Sr National Team Compete at Olympic Trials