September 25, 2025
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Stephen Nedoroscik—Olympic gymnast and world champion on the pommel horse—joined Citadel interns in Fort Lauderdale for a conversation about channeling energy, overcoming challenges, and sustaining excellence. The session highlighted how persistence, mindset and balance can fuel success in athletics and professional life. Watch a highlight from his talk in the video below.
Drawing on experiences that span from his early start in gymnastics to a world championship, Nedoroscik emphasized four key themes: turning limitations into strengths, building resilience through pressure, staying present in competition and balancing multiple priorities.
Turning Limitations into Strengths Nedoroscik shared that he was diagnosed with eye conditions that affect depth perception and light sensitivity. Rather than seeing them as obstacles, he adapted his training. Instead of sight, he relies on rhythm, feel and muscle memory on the pommel horse. Visualization became a tool for success with which he imagined the nerves, rhythms and physical sensations before each routine. “I turned something that could have been an excuse into my biggest advantage,” he said.
Getting Comfortable with Pressure Stress, Nedoroscik explained, is like a muscle you can train. He spoke about putting himself in stressful situations in practice to prepare for competitions. By reframing nerves as excitement and focusing only on what he could control, Nedoroscik developed tools to stay calm and perform at his best. Visualization, breathing exercises and a lighthearted attitude helped him stay present on the world stage.
Finding Flow in Many Pursuits Outside of gymnastics, Nedoroscik studied electrical engineering in college and is an avid Rubik’s Cube solver. He described how having multiple passions gave him balance. When one area didn’t go well, he leaned on another to reset and stay positive. “If I have a bad workout, I can go study or solve cubes, and that makes me happy again,” he said. For Nedoroscik, happiness and mental health are essential foundations for peak performance.
Bouncing Back Stronger Nedoroscik recounted one of the hardest moments of his career: failing to make the 2021 Olympic team. Instead of dwelling on the setback, he used it to fuel change by improving his training, sleep and nutrition. Within three months, he became the world champion on the pommel horse. The turnaround came from learning quickly and approaching challenges with renewed focus and commitment.
He closed with a message that resonates across disciplines: Setbacks are inevitable, but how you respond to them defines your success. “Show up every day with energy and optimism,” Nedoroscik said, “and that persistence will set you apart.”
