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When Kyla Ross was named to the U.S. women’s Olympic artistic gymnastics team, she was the youngest member at just 15 years old. To make the Olympics for gymnastics, the athlete needs to turn 16 during that Olympic year. Ross would turn 16 in October, so she was just old enough to make the team.
Despite her youth, Ross brought a sense of grace and elegance with her routines on uneven bars, balance beam and floor. Coupled with high-level execution, she helped the U.S. bring home the team gold.
Two Olympic cycles later, Ross is now retired — but not far away — from the sport.
After the Olympics, Ross Competed for and Graduated from UCLA
Nearly a decade removed from her time competing for Team USA at the 2012 Olympics, Ross is now an alumnus of UCLA, where she also competed for the gymnastics team.
Ross first enrolled at UCLA in 2016, and she was one of the top all-around gymnasts in the NCAA throughout her time as a student-athlete.
Her page on UCLA athletics’ official website notes that Ross earned 22 total perfect 10s while competing at the collegiate level. She played a key role in the Bruins’ 2018 national championship season but also won individual titles on all four events throughout the course of her collegiate career. She is the first female gymnast to become an Olympic, World and NCAA champion.
This past college gymnastics season, Ross served as an undergraduate assistant coach for the gymnastics team. She graduated in spring with a Bachelor’s degree in molecular, cell and developmental biology, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Ross Remains Involved with Gymnastics as a Coach at Summer Camps Nationwide
Summer is a popular time for youth gymnastics camps. Oftentimes, these camps will feature retired gymnasts as part of their staff, and Ross is no exception.
This summer, she has traveled to numerous states to help out at several camps, using her expertise to coach the next generation of gymnasts.
Ross assisted at 1996 Olympic gymnast Amanda Borden’s “Gold Medal Gymnastics Summer Camp” as well as Beam Queen Bootcamp.
Beam Queen Bootcamp, run by 2008 Olympian and former UCLA gymnast Samantha Peszek, is a unique training opportunity in that it focuses solely on balance beam — an event that can be known to be more mentally jarring than others. During her competition days, Ross was known as a beam worker, even having won the NCAA balance beam title as a freshman.
She Has Her Own Line of Gymnastics Leotards
While Ross doesn’t spend time working out and training in leotards anymore, she has gotten into designing her own gymnastics apparel. Ross recently partnered with the gymnastics leotard company Sylvia P and developed her own line of leotards.
She released her first collection with Slyvia P in November 2020. The designs were inspired by nature and the happiness she finds by being outdoors, as Ross explained in an Instagram post:
“Through these leotards, I hope the curiosity and joy of exploring the outdoors is brought with you to the gym!”
Ross’ second line with the leotard company debuted in May and drew inspiration from Hawai’i, the state where she was born.
She is an Inaugural Member of the American Gymnastics Alumni Association
International Gymnast Magazine reported the recent creation and formation of the American Gymnastics Alumni Association, “an independent organization comprised of former Women’s National Team Members.” The aim of the organization is to “bring positivity to the gymnastics community” through social gatherings, events and more. Ross was listed as one of the members of AGAA’s Board of Directors.
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