Interview With Aria Smith

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

I was five years old when I started gymnastics and I originally got drawn to the sport when I was watching the 2016 Olympics and I saw Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles and thought that’s exactly what I wanna do when I grow up!

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

my favorite meet is probably the Nastia lukin cup! my least favorite event is bars the hardest skill I’ve done is a double double on floor and the easiest skill I’ve done is probably a BHS anywhere

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?

I feel like my hardest struggle was probably last year. I went through a bit of a slump in my gymnastics, and I felt like I was getting a little bit lazy with it instead of pushing myself, but then I finally realized It wasn’t getting me anywhere and to get where I wanted to go, I had to push to be the best version of myself, so that’s what I did and now I’m right where I wanna be!

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

My biggest accomplishment was probably this year when I committed to Arkansas on a full athletic scholarship and I am so incredibly happy and I love the girls and the coaches so much. I’m exactly where I want to be! #WOOPIGSOOIEEEEE

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

i’m currently still competing right now and I will be graduating high school in 2028!!

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

my role model has always been Simone Biles!! My advice to a person starting the sport for the first time is never push yourself to the point where you know you’re gonna get hurt and always try your best to have fun!!

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

my first goal is to make worlds and my second goal is to get through my college gymnastics career without any severe injuries!!