Former Olympian Nastia Liukin Teams With AncestryDNA to Learn How Genetics Impact Athletic Performance

Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin is certainly gymnastic royalty. Originally born in Moscow, Russia SFSR, Soviet Union, the athlete joined team USA for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Liukin took home a gold medal in in the all round, a silver in Team uneven bars and balance beam and a bronze for her floor exercise during those Games.

Nowadays, Liukin can be found promoting new businesses and partnerships, among them her recent collaboration with AncestryDNA, completing  their Trait Test along with other famous athletes like Gabby Douglass and Todd Fraser. This test is designed to uncover more unconventional genetic predispositions, such as speed and self-discipline, and is available to anyone, allowing people to compare their own DNA to these professional athletes.

Nastia Liukin sat down with FIRST for Women to discuss her motivation for taking the test, what she learned and how she really feels about the upcoming Paris Olympics.

First for Women: What was your motivation to pair up with AncestryDNA for the Trait Test?

Nastia Liukin: I've always been really curious to learn more about my DNA and my family [and] I was fascinated by all the different traits that you could find out about with the AncestryDNA Trait Test. Both my parents were Olympic Champion gymnasts and it's always been this thing: “Oh, it’s just good genes,” when it comes to my gymnastics, but it was really interesting to see where I was similar to my mom versus my dad or both with the test.

The test highlighted some things I’d already realized over the course of my training, like I was more likely to be more flexible — I've always had to spend way more time on strength conditioning and running than I did flexibility. I especially hated running and it was funny to read that I was unlikely to experience a runner’s high, which made me feel a bit better, because I felt like I should enjoy running when I could never quite enjoy it.

Other things that were interesting to me [about the test] was that I’ve always considered myself an optimist and an overall pretty positive person. But seeing that I wasn’t likely to be an optimist helped me to see that it was something my mom had instilled in me since I was super young. She taught me the importance of being positive and thinking positively so that it becomes muscle memory. The way your body learns to point your toes without thinking about it, you also have to train your mind to become an optimist. So even if you're not necessarily born with that trait, you can still work hard on it and teach yourself.

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FFW: Were there any results that surprised you in the way they translated into your life or did anything you learn change your perspective on your career?

Nastia Liukin: I think the self-discipline result was really interesting, because I always thought that I was self-disciplined.  When [the test] said that I was more motivated by others, I realized in the past that I really did not like the days I had to be in the gym by myself when no one else had training. It’s not that I thought it wasn’t fair —obviously I knew [it was necessary] — but I really preferred other people to be there, not necessarily to be better than them, but to overall motivate me.

Another result that made a lot of sense looking back on my career was the "Sports technique — Easier to Develop Good Technique.” Because I wasn't as physically strong as a lot of other gymnasts, I really had to focus on my technique. While others could sort of ‘muscle’ their way through, I didn't have the strength to be able to pull off some moves without the most perfect technique. It's interesting, because my dad is technically so precise, and people would always tell him, “She’s not strong enough, she’ll never be able to do...” — whatever skill it was, but he would always find a way. So much of that was obviously determination and stubbornness, but also the technical precision that he had and coached me with.

FFW : Do you wish this data was something you had access to during your career or earlier?

Nastia Liukin: I always say knowledge is power and with knowledge we can all be better, stronger versions of ourselves. If anything, it’s just more interesting to know these things, especially with the leadership trait. Even looking at my team from 2008, I always knew that one of my teammates was very much the team captain/leader. It’s not that I didn’t have that in me, but she really thrives in that situation whereas I like to just focus on being a part of the team and being supportive.

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FFW: Speaking of the Olympics, do you have a favorite memory of the 2008 Olympics?

Nastia Liukin: You're technically not officially an Olympian until you compete for the very first time. You step foot on the competition floor and the green light comes on and you salute the judge — that's when you become an Olympian. Even if you make the Olympic team, you're not technically an Olympian. So, I think for me, it was the first day of the competition. I remember specifically we were about to march out into the arena and we're standing in this tunnel kind of thing. The stadium was so loud and the energy — we were all so nervous; we had butterflies in our stomachs. And I remember turning back and looking at five of my Olympic teammates and just thinking — no words were exchanged — that we were all about embark on the most memorable experience of our entire lives and our dreams were about to come true. No medals were won that day, it was just qualifying, but a dream that we all had since we were little girls was literally coming true in front of our own eyes.

In that moment, I took a sort of mental photo in my head and I remember feeling every feeling you’ve ever felt all at the same time. There's fear, there's the unknown, the unexpected, there's excitement and then the pressure of, you know, an entire nation essentially being on your shoulders, but you take so much pride in that pressure and so much responsibility in it that it can't compare to anything else.

Even though nothing happened, that moment became like a favorite memory, because, for me, it was never about the outcome. I'm sure people are like, “It's easy for you to say that now, because of the medals you won,” and sure, maybe it is, but it was really about the experience and the journey. I got to go to the Olympics with my dad right next to me. And as an only child, I now have these teammates that became sisters that I now have for the rest of my life. Of course I can tell you it was winning the gold medal, but I don't know, I guess a little bit obvious, right? It was incredible, I'm not going to lie. I'm also not going to downplay it, but I do think it was moments like standing in the tunnel that, to me, defines the whole journey and what it means to be an Olympian.

FFW: Will you be attending and/or watching the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in a few weeks?

Nastia Liukin : Yeah, I’ll be in Paris! This will be my seventh Olympics, I think and, regardless of the outcome, there is something so magical about the energy and excitement of the Olympics. There is nothing else, in my opinion, that unites the entire world for two weeks the way the Olympics does.

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FFW: Are there any specific athletes you’re excited to watch?

Nastia Liukin: I’m excited to watch Team USA gymnastics in general, but on a personal level — I'm probably a little biased — one of my parents’ athletes, Hezly Rivera, just made the Olympic team and just turned 16 last month. All the girls have worked so hard to get here and I’ve really seen that first-hand while she’s trained with my parents. I’m just really excited to be at the games to cheer everyone on. I hope everyone’s happy in the end! I feel really old saying that. My mom used to always tell me, “It doesn't matter what the outcome is, just be healthy and happy,” and now I truly feel that way and I’m just excited for the whole team.

FFW: How do you (if you do) keep gymnastics as a part of your life after retirement from your professional career?

Nastia Liukin: It's not really part of my day-to-day life anymore, which I think for a long time I struggled in understanding or accepting. I've realized that gymnastics is something that I will forever love and be passionate about and it has taught me so many things. All the traits that I’ve learned throughout my competitive days, especially the work ethic and perseverance, helped shape me into the person I am. So, I would say it's not part of my day-to-day at all and at the same time it’s all a part of my day-to-day, because I believe it just made me the person that I am.

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