Sam Mikulak

“If I could go back in time and see anyone perform, it would have to be Bob Marley.”

“With how much stress I have every day in the gym, you need a little time to get out and just be whoever you want to be.”

“The hardest for me is rings because it is a lot more strength-oriented, while all the other events are about fluidity and flexibility. It's the one event that doesn't coincide with the fluidity, which is my strength.”

“My most prized possession is my pillow. I can't travel or sleep without it. And it's, like, this really thin down pillow that really doesn't do anything, but it's weird: if I don't have it, I'm constantly thinking about not having it.”

“Pommel horse is probably the most nerve-wracking because it's one of the events that is easiest to fall off, and then you lose the momentum of the whole routine.”

“The most fun is the high bar - I just like the adrenaline rush of doing the high-flying releases.”

“The first time I won a medal in the all-around competition is when I realized that's what I wanted to do pretty much for the rest of my life. Even though I was still doing baseball and soccer at the time, I think I just found that that was more my passion, where I saw a lot more success... I was probably eight or nine years old.”

“I definitely want to put my kids in gymnastics at an early age, whether that's what they want to or not. Gymnastics just builds such a great fundamental strength at a young age, and they get great; they learn how to move with their body. I think that can translate to any sport later in life.”

“There's always a little fear anytime you're doing something crazy because at any moment you can break a leg, land on your neck, or peel off the bar. Over the years, we've fallen so many times that we've kind of learned how to fall safely. Still, there is always a risk.”

“My parents met during their time at Cal Berkeley while they were both on the gymnastics team. Due to their intense gymnastics background, I started doing 'Mommy and Me' classes when I was 2 years old.”

“Some aspects of gymnastics don't really get that much attention, and when you have people send you letters, it makes you feel important and gives you a sense of purpose so you can go out and train hard because you want to perform well.”

“I think everyone envisions what their life would be like if they were to live in this post-apocalyptic world. I love the idea of fighting every day to live, because it kind of applies to gymnastics; I feel like every day I need to be in control and focused and stay on edge.”

“I started re-reading 'Harry Potter' just to throw myself back into my childhood. I forgot how awesome the books are.”

“I bought a Fitbit, actually, and I just thought it was going to be an awesome way to track how I live and move and burn calories, but with gymnastics, it was a total waste of money because it's more based off how you walk and not how you flip.”

“If you don't have a cohesive team, you won't have good results.”

“'Finding Dory' just stole my heart. Little Dory was the most adorable thing in the entire world, and Ellen DeGeneres killed the game. I liked the flashbacks to the past - it gave you a bit more perspective and appreciation for certain characters.”

“I listen to music that doesn't have words. I love Kygo - he's tropical house, and that's my stuff!”

“Teamwork. That's the biggest lesson you can learn from competing in NCAA gymnastics. Everyone just has to work together, you have to trust in everyone, and everyone has to push you to become the gymnast you want to be.”

“Due to my love for 'Harry Potter,' I have to say my celebrity crush is Emma Watson and my Olympic crush is Gracie Gold.”

“I like to be in control of my own athleticism. If I win, I don't want it to be because of my lucky underwear, you know? I want it to be because I put forth the work.”