NEW BERLIN, Wis. — Homegrown athletes in New Berlin cheered on Team USA as they competed in the gymnastics final in Paris Tuesday.
Their own work at M&M Gym isn't stopping for the Olympics, but they are taking breaks here and there to watch their heroes take on the world stage.
"How cool is it to to watch it with your fellow gymnasts who understand kind of how important this is?" asked TMJ4's Mariam Mackar.
"It's so fun, I mean, when I watch it on the couch with my mom she's like "Oh what is that?" but here everyone's like "Oh that was good" or "Oh that was off but she saved it," so it's such a unique environment," said gymnast Reese Heinrich.
16-year-old Heinrich has been working at the sport for as long as she can remember.
"I've been a gymnast since I was about two years old in the tiny tot classes," Heinrich said.
Mackar asked who her favorite member of Team USA is.
"I mean, everybody loves Simone, but I think I love Suni the most," Heinrich answered. "I love how clean and precise she is with everything."
Even younger athletes, like Jayla, Mayah and Ariyana, say there's nothing like watching the big leagues in their own home gym.
"While you're in practice watching those girls do what you're hoping to do one day, I think it's just awesome and amazing to watch," said 10-year-old Jayla.
11-year-old Mayah agreed.
"I would like to go to the Olympics, too, so I can inspire girls like me to go, too."
From dedication to persevering through the falls, the USA Team is inspiring these young athletes that anything is possible.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
