Meet Stephen Nedoroscik’s Parents Who Nicknamed the Olympic Gymnast ‘Spider Monkey’

Stephen Nedoroscik won America’s hearts one spin at a time on the pommel horse at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics . But, his parents are his biggest supporters and got him to where he is today.

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Born on October 28, 1998, the Olympic gymnast had humble beginnings when his parents found out that he was climbing all over the furniture at their house. His parents called him “Spider Monkey” and it has stuck ever since. They eventually enrolled him at a local gym in 2003 and the rest is history. “On the first day there, I climbed a rope all the way to the top,” Nedoroscik told NBC News . “After that, they invited me to join the gymnastics team. We accepted it, and that was it.”

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In 2024, Stephen qualified for the Paris Olympics earlier this year, making history as the only American gymnast to qualify as a single-event specialist. And man did he deliver! His performance on the pommel horse helped the US Men’s Gymnast team secure a bronze medal— the first for the American men’s gymnastics team since 2008.

His performance garnered lots of praise and he went viral for sleeping right before he absolutely destroyed it on the pommel horse. Donning his famous glasses, he’s been dubbed the “Clark Kent” of gymnastics for his stellar abilites.

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Cheryl Nederoscik

Cheryl Nederoscik is Stephen’s mother. According to her LinkedIn, she’s a Client Exprience Manager at BayStateSavings Bank. A week before he headed off the Paris, his parents held a send off in his hometown of Worcester, Massachussetts.

“Everybody’s dream is to make it to the Olympics,” she told Spectrum News 1 . “Obviously, they all want to do well. But it’s such an obstacle to conquer. It’s just impressive.

John Nederoscik

John Nederoscik is Stephen’s father. At the same event, he became very nostalgic and proud of all his son’s accomplishments. “It started to hit us last night when we met the old families from Sterling, where he used to practice. So, that’s when it started to pick up a little bit for me,” he said.  “I think you can’t prepare for this. I mean, this is the pinnacle of the sport. So, I don’t think he’s been this high before.”