Olympic gold-medalist and member of the 2008 U.S. women's national gymnastics team, Nastia
Liukin, is an icon in the world of elite sports. But once she stepped off the international
stage, real life presented a whole new set of challenges. From finding her identity to
advocating for the next generation, here's what Nastia's doing now.
"Just forget everything I did for twenty-two years of my life. Awesome."
As fans already know, Nastia Liukin is gymnastics royalty. She spent her earliest years in Russia,
where her parents were both celebrated athletes. Her mother won the '87 world rhythmic gymnastics
championship, while her father earned four medals in gymnastics at the '88 Olympics.
It's an impressive legacy, but Liukin swears that her parents didn't force her to follow
in their footsteps — even though they both coached her. The athlete told Parents,
"I was born with a little gymnastics in my blood and ever since I can remember, I've
had such a passion for it. […] [My parents] never pushed me into the sport. They always
made sure it was my decision that I wanted to do [it]."
Even before she landed at the Olympics, Liukin was creating an international buzz, with skill
that was evident at a very young age. She shared with Women's Day,
"I had my first competition at 6 years old. […] By the time I was 12, I was an Elite
gymnast."
That same year she made the Junior National team. It was clear she was becoming an Olympic
contender, but she still wasn't old enough to compete. In 2005, she won gold at the Gymnastics
World Championships on bars and beam and silver on the floor and all-around competition. In
2008, she finally hit the Olympic stage.
But even before she competed, Liukin had caught the attention of a quickly growing fanbase.
The New York Times reported that the 18-year-old's many lucrative endorsements included CoverGirl,
Secret, and the Vanilla Star denim company.
Winning gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics wasn't just a win for Liukin, it was a win for her
whole family. The gold medal she snagged in the all-around competition was the same one
her father had very nearly won at the '88 Summer Olympics, missing it by a mere one-tenth
of a point. Liukin told ABC News,
"To share that Olympic gold with him made all the difference in the world to me."
Liukin's dad, who coached her to victory, told Gymnovosti that he was even prouder of
his daughter's wins than his own. He shared,
"I realized that training an Olympic champion is much harder than becoming an Olympic champion."
In addition to her all-around gold, Liukin won silver medals on beam and bars and a bronze
for her floor routine. She also won the silver medal with Team USA, tying the U.S. gymnastics
record for the most medals won by an athlete at a single Olympic Games.
As a kid, Liukin dreamed of winning gold at the Olympics. And today, many young gymnasts
dream of winning big at the Nastia Liukin Cup. The star athlete founded the competition
shortly after her Olympic win, and it's been an annual tradition since 2010. The event
was originally created by Liukin and USA Gymnastics and designed as an elite circuit for Junior
Olympians across the nation. Proceeds from the event go to the Nastia Liukin Fund, which
benefits young gymnasts in need of financial assistance.
"You guys are the very best of the best, in the best country in the world."
Liukin told a local Wisconsin radio station,
"I was always wanting to give back to the next generation […] to give these young
women the opportunity to on the big stage under the bright lights on national television."
After Liukin's stunning performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics, she could have walked
away from it all, a total success. Between the Olympics and world championships, she'd
won a total of 14 medals, and no one would have blamed her if she'd wanted to take a
break from the grind. But it appeared she wanted more. Even her dad was surprised that
she wanted to continue training. She told The Denver Post,
"I think he was confused because we did everything we set out to do in 2008. Winning the all-around
gold medal, nothing can top that."
"I'm really trying to enjoy the journey and trying to take it one day at a time."
Unfortunately, another run at the Olympics wasn't in the cards for the gymnast, and she
didn't make the 2012 Olympic team. While Liukin hadn't planned to retire from the sport quite
so soon, a fall during the competition became the catalyst for her next chapter. She told
Bustle,
"It made me evaluate what was truly important to me. […] When I picked myself up and finished
my routine, I realized that our lives will never be defined by results, a gold medal,
a job position, or a salary. That moment shaped me into the person I am today."
"It was the hardest transition of my life when that chapter of my life came to a close."
After she retired, Liukin was faced with the challenge of establishing herself outside
of gymnastics. For so long, her life had been focused on the sport, and she didn't know
who she was without it. Liukin finally came to an important conclusion; achieving her
dream had been an incredible accomplishment, but there was still a lot more to strive for.
She told Bustle,
"It's the moments that lead up to or follow that moment of glory, the messy, gritty, challenging
moments that speak to who you are."
"From failure or from disappointment, that's where character builds."
Liukin suddenly had more time to explore her passions outside the sport, and it wasn't
long before she opened the door to her next chapter.
Walking away from gymnastics meant that Liukin was no longer training every day, and because
of that, her body changed. She revealed to StyleCaster,
"People remembered me as this petite blond gymnast in a leotard, and then I go through
the normal body changes and people are like, 'Oh my God. You're so fat.'"
Liukin pointed out that while she was not, in fact, overweight, she was instead being
brutally scrutinized by the media. The public was relentless, and it took a toll on her
self-esteem. Liukin became a recluse, wearing oversized clothes and avoiding people as much
as possible. She said,
"I was so insecure with myself and my body because of what other people were saying."
Liukin was exercising regularly, but her look had changed and she initially had some trouble
accepting that. Still, she finally came to a place of loving her post-Olympic frame,
telling Into The Gloss,
"It took a few years — it was a trial and error process, particularly with beauty and
fitness."
Liukin may no longer be competing on the beam, but she's still got some serious moves on
the dance floor. And the Olympic medalist showed off her skills in 2015 when she competed
on Dancing With the Stars. Liukin crushed her performances, making it all the way to
the semifinals, just missing a shot at the Mirrorball.
Making Liukin's stint on the show more of a challenge, she danced with two different
partners, when Derek Hough got injured during the season. Trading steps with Sasha Farber
for several dances, she learned how to keep up with the grueling pace of the show and
adjust to a new partner's style. Ever the hard worker, Liukin rose to the challenge.
But while she was sad to leave, she admitted on the red carpet,
"As a gymnast I always focus so much about scores and placements and Derek really taught
me to live in the moment and really just enjoy the journey."
It may have been her athletic prowess that made her famous, but gymnastics is far from
Liukin's only talent. She also has some pretty impressive storytelling skills, as fans got
to share in her 2015 book about her journey to the Olympics, Finding My Shine. She aims
to inspire fans not only with her successes, but by the fall that ended her comeback in
2012. She told Just Jared Junior,
"Writing a book has always been a dream of mine. […] I moved to [New York City and]
I thought this was the perfect time to write my memoir as I finished one chapter of my
life and am about to start the next."
"I think your shine truly comes from within."
Liukin is also a prolific blogger, sharing everything from style tips to travel advice
on her site. She revealed that writing is also a way for her to relax, telling Origin
Magazine,
"[I enjoy] sitting in a park or anywhere with fresh air and drinking a cup of hot tea while
reading or writing in a journal."
With the world at her fingertips, and the time to try something new, Liukin was able
to pursue other opportunities like attending college. The former Olympian enrolled at New
York University, graduating in 2016 with a degree in sports management. Liukin revealed
on Instagram that getting her degree had always been part of the plan, even while she was
still dreaming of an Olympic victory. She wrote,
"My dad told me that you'll never know how far your gymnastics career will take you,
but an education will stick with you for the rest of [your] life."
Liukin told NBC that she decided on her major because she was curious about the business
side of the sports world, after so many years competing in gymnastics. She also felt that
the degree in sports management would help her really take the reins on her career.
"Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin!"
While Liukin and fellow gymnast Shawn Johnson were friends during their days as teammates
on the U.S. women's national team, the 2008 Olympics drove something of a wedge between
them. The media painted the two as rivals. And while Liukin and Johnson didn't see themselves
that way, the rumors took a toll on their friendship. They even stopped speaking to
each other for years. Johnson said in a 2018 YouTube video,
"We kind of felt like, well, they don't want us to be friends. They won't allow us to be
friends."
The rift remained for eight years until Johnson sent an email to her former teammate. Both
athletes had been missing each other and quickly rekindled their friendship after Johnson reached
out. Liukin said,
"Sports is just such a small part of your life, yet a big part of your life. It brought
us together. It drove us apart. It brought us back together."
These days, Liukin and Johnson remain close. Johnson even named Liukin as godmother to
her daughter in 2019.
In 2015, Liukin announced that she was engaged to former professional ice hockey player and
entrepreneur Matt Lombardi. But things weren't meant to be for the couple, and they eventually
called it quits in 2018. The breakup was rough on Liukin, who told People,
"It was scary because when I met Matt, I thought that he was gonna be the person I was gonna
spend the rest of my life with. […] I felt like a failure not having this relationship
work."
Thankfully, Liukin was able to pull through the tough time thanks to the love and support
of her close friends. Two of those people happened to be Shawn Johnson and Johnson's
husband, Andrew East, both of whom she lived with at the time. But despite the heartbreaking
loss, Liukin said,
"I don't regret a single thing at all."
Liukin's days as a competitive gymnast may be behind her, but she is more than thriving
with an estimated net worth of $2 million. And that's a sum that's sure to grow with
all of the projects she's working on — including her face cream collaboration with Volition.
Liukin is also the co-founder of Grander, which later became The Muse Collective, which
aims to inspire and support future female leaders. Life as an entrepreneur may be different
from that of an athlete but, to Liukin, it's a natural continuation of her gymnastics training.
She told Dallas Innovates,
"Whether you're starting your own business, you're part of a startup, or you're raising
a round of funding, you have to have the blood, sweat, and tears just like I did training
for the Olympics. That's how you have to feel every single day."
"To be completely honest, I'm kind of impressed with myself. I'm not gonna lie."
These days, Liukin is all about giving back, and one way she does that is through advocating
for those in need. In 2021, she participated in The Big Fight — a competitive fitness
event aimed at providing life-saving mental health services. She told Inside Gymnastics,
"I'm just really proud to bring awareness to the cause and normalize talking about mental
health. […] I think people feel very alone thinking they’re the only one feeling struggles."
That's not the only way she's using her platform. In 2020, Liukin donated funds to gyms struggling
to stay in business in the wake of the pandemic. She told Team USA,
"[This is] what can I do to help this community that means so much to me."
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