When the lights went down in Barclays Center at 7:30 p.m. on October 5, the screaming started—a deafening roar that several of the gymnasts on the Gold Over America Tour had warned me about earlier in the day. Bring earplugs, one or two had even advised. Sitting in the stands, I wished I had, but I couldn’t fault the fans making all the clamor too much. Most of the audience were kids—a demographic known for expressing enthusiasm in decibels—and they were watching some of their absolute idols perform right in front of them.
Spanning close to two months, the Gold Over America Tour is a coast-to-coast odyssey, currently in its second iteration, that takes prominent gymnasts across the US to showcase their skills; the goal is to bring the sport to a wider audience and inspire the next generation of bar, beam, floor, and vault stars. But while you’ll see flips, twists, and some really wild stunts, it’s unlike a traditional gymnastics competition: Performers don fun costumes and do choreographed dance numbers that incorporate pop-culture trends along with incredible tumbling passes. My favorites included a “Barbie”-themed segment and a series of romantic dance duets set to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” (In fact, the show’s soundtrack features multiple T-Swift songs, a creative decision that elicited a lot more screams.)
While headliner Simone Biles is the most famous face of the tour, plenty of other Team USA Olympians signed on this year as well, including Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Hezly Rivera, Brody Malone, Frederick Richard, and Paul Juda. (Pommel Horse Guy, a.k.a. Stephen Nedoroscik, alas, isn’t among them, presumably due to his “Dancing with the Stars” commitments.) The ensemble also includes non-American Olympians, college stars, and other top gymnasts.
I watched all the athletes in their full glory during the show, but I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek earlier in the day: The GOAT folks invited SELF behind the scenes, so I headed backstage around 4:30 p.m. to chat with some of them and watch their warm-ups. Sprawled on the blue competition mats, the group talked, bantered, and joked like “a bunch of cousins,” as Peng-Peng Lee, 31, a Canadian gymnast who was set to compete at the 2012 London Games before an injury sidelined her, described it to me.
On the mats, Lee caught up with Joscelyn Roberson, 18, an alternate for Team USA in Paris and a University of Arkansas freshman. Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, a 24-year-old French gymnast who competed at the Tokyo Games in 2021, sat with her legs pulled to her chest under an oversized striped sweatshirt as she scrolled through her phone. To her right, Katelyn Ohashi, 27, a former UCLA Bruin whose joyous floor routine at the 2019 Collegiate Challenge went viral, styled Carey’s hair, weaving small sections into braids—their longstanding pre-show ritual.
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If hanging with close friends on a near-constant basis while doing what you love sounds like heaven, the stars of the Gold Over America Tour are living your wildest dream. The world of elite gymnastics is a small one, so most had crossed paths at some point before joining, but the tour is an immersive bonding experience like few others. The cast members mostly travel together, practice together, sleep on their respective buses together, and explore their host cities together. “It’s cool to be able to get to know each other on a deeper level,” Lee said as she applied makeup in a mirrored room along with Roberson, de Jesus dos Santos, and Ohashi. “And at the end of the day, we all can relate to each other in some sense.”
Soon, the dressing tables took on the appearance of an oversized bathroom vanity, covered in tubes, sprays, bottles, compacts, and palettes. As hands flew back and forth between beauty blenders, brow combs, mascara wands, and more brushes than I could count, Roberson, de Jesus dos Santos, Ohashi, and Lee talked about what performing in the show—and living together on the road—is really like. Read on as the gymnasts share their “deep, deep question” sessions, new nicknames for each other (and what “Boss Baby” really means), how that sleeping situation actually works, and why the tour represents a “full-circle moment.”
SELF: To start with, can you walk me through your pre-show routine?
Peng-Peng Lee: Ooh, man. Where to start?
Joscelyn Roberson: We have call time around 4 p.m., 4:15 p.m. every single day. Until then, I usually do schoolwork or hang out, whatever.
Last night, me and Jade [Carey], we stayed on the bus and studied. We are both in college right now, so we’ll be like, ‘Okay, we have to make sure we get this assignment done before we do anything else.’ So it’s really fun to have that little bond and pact to make sure we’re both staying accountable.
And then after call time, I go throw my hair up super quick, get in my warm-up gear, and then practice. After that, I go do my makeup and my hair and then get in costume. Then, it’s showtime.
Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos: I’m quite a morning person. I always wake up with music, take a shower, and I generally try to walk around the cities where we stop to explore as much as I can. I also make sure to grab a coffee, of course. After that, I head back to the arena to start my makeup and hair, which usually takes me about an hour.
Lee: Katelyn and I have a different role this year [primarily as hosts and dancers], so we’re doing a lot of stuff on the mic. So I try to do vocal warm-ups. Sometimes I eat before the show.
But then we all come together at call time. Since there’s so many of us, we do things together. No one’s ever alone, which is nice. And then by the time the show comes, it’s cool going, ‘Oh, what makeup are you going to do today? Oh, what are you going to do with your hair?’ It’s kind of like a big-sister bonding moment.
Because the tour has a gold theme, a lot of us are doing more gold-toned makeup, but it really just depends on how we’re feeling. Sometimes we’re just putting stuff on our faces, and we’re like, ‘Oh, that looks good.’ Yesterday, Katie did a really cool blue eyeliner or blue mascara that popped so nicely in the lights, so it’s fun just playing around. And Jordan [Chiles] had rhinestones on her eyes the other day.
Katelyn Ohashi: Yeah, like Peng does Jade’s makeup every day and I braid Jade’s hair every day. Sometimes we’ll go for a walk depending on the city if we want to explore a little bit. Maybe shop for stuff to put in the bags that we don’t have space in.
SELF: Any favorite cities you’ve been to so far? Or specific tourist stuff?
Roberson: Philly was definitely my favorite. I went once when I was younger, and I love the “Rocky” movies, so going to see the Rocky steps and the Rocky statue was really cool.
And the show also had the best vibe, I think. The audience members were singing all the songs, cheering for everyone. The kids really loved the whole show, and we could feel that from all the way down on the floor.
Lee: Yeah. No one had sung the songs before.
Ohashi: We turned pop stars suddenly.
SELF: The GOAT schedule is pretty busy—multiple consecutive days of performances. What is it like dealing with constant travel?
Ohashi: Well, we sleep on the bus most nights [in built-in bunks]. Unless we have an off day, when we get to have a bed [in a hotel]. But it’s actually really fun because you go to bed and wake up with your girlfriends. Sometimes we’ll stay up late chatting or just—
Roberson: Flipping!
Lee: Flipping, having a little dance party on the bus. Our group likes to dance. Loves to dance. We can bring that energy anywhere. Sometimes it’ll be in the middle of the street.
Roberson: Like last night, we had an early bus call, so we all went out into the parking lot where our buses were and just danced.
Lee: Jordan [Chiles] had a boom box then.
Ohashi: One of our guys, Yul [Moldauer], he DJs, so he brought his little DJ setup.
SELF: Sounds like a big slumber party! Is it physically tough to be on the go all the time?
De Jesus dos Santos: It’s true that from the outside, it might look exhausting. And yes, it is tiring, but I’m happy to be here! I feel the fatigue differently—my body and muscles are definitely tired after the show, but honestly, at night I’m exhausted because I’m having so much fun.
Roberson: We have a PT on the bus that travels with us. I think recovery is really important—so getting treatment, getting good rest, and then making sure you’re ready and really warmed up for the shows. Your body is your instrument on this trip, so making sure it’s as healthy as it can be is the most important thing.
SELF: Is there anything specific that you try to do after a show so you’re feeling as good as you possibly can for the next one?
De Jesus dos Santos: What helps me the most is mental recovery, so doing lots of things outside of gymnastics. Physically, I recover pretty quickly, so I don’t have a strict routine.
Roberson: It depends on the day, honestly. But yesterday, I went to the PT and we just flushed out my calves and made sure my ankles were feeling good. I also like to do NormaTec. They’re like compression sleeves for your legs, and they really help with recovery and just getting your muscles ready for the next show, especially since we have so many in a row.
Lee: I know some places have ice baths, so some of the girls will do an ice bath after the show. But sometimes after the show you’re so tired…
Ohashi: It kind of gives you a high, though.
Roberson: Yeah, it definitely is hard to go to sleep after.
Lee: I like to say that we’re living on 5% brain cells. We don’t really know what day it is anymore. Nighttime seems like daytime, and it’s just totally different than what you’re used to as an athlete.
Roberson: When I moved to Houston two-ish years ago, and then when I went to college in Fayetteville, I was a grandma. I never stayed up past 11:30 p.m., midnight. And now I’ve already pulled three all-nighters.
SELF: Besides the physical recovery stuff, is there anything else that helps you relax and unwind after performing?
De Jesus dos Santos: I love music, dancing, and going out, being someone other than the athlete and gymnast that I am.
Lee: Some of us might try to see family or friends or eat a very late dinner at wherever’s open. Others will head to the buses or study. Sometimes we disperse, but then we all somehow come together in the end.
Roberson: I just love getting cozy in my little Target robe. I definitely look forward to getting in the shower at the end of the day. And taking off my makeup is really nice—that really settles me down.
Ohashi: And Joss and I, every off day, we—
Roberson: Oh, yeah, we have our late-night talks! We will just stay in someone’s room—most of the time it’s Kate’s—and ask each other deep, deep questions.
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SELF: Can I ask about some of the topics you’ve covered?
Roberson: Kate, what’s a good one?
Ohashi: I thought one that was really cute was, ‘What are each other’s green flags?’ Basically, what everyone’s great qualities are, that we’ve noticed and observed being on this tour.
Roberson: I said Kate’s very comfortable and authentic to herself. She’s very secure in who she is and she’s not afraid to let other people know.
Ohashi: Besides Hezly, who comes in and out, Joss is our youngest girl on the tour right now. She’s only been in college—what, a couple weeks?—and it already seems like she’s going to be such a strong college—
Lee: Leader!
Ohashi: Leader. She knows exactly what to say. She’s really articulate and straight to the point. And I feel like when something happens during a show, she brings everyone together and can say something that uplifts everyone.
Lee: We call her Joss the Boss. Boss Baby.
Ohashi: [laughing] Boss Baby!
Lee: But it’s so well earned. She’s like a little captain, and it’s so fun because she brings that college energy to the sport.
SELF: So how would you say the experience of being on this tour is different from being in a regular gymnastics competition or meet?
Roberson: It’s so different. When you’re at competitions and meets, you’re doing that for yourself. Yes, there are people coming to watch you, but it’s your goal, your dream. But here, you’re doing it for the fans. You want to make sure everyone coming to watch is enjoying their time.
This is our moment to have fun. We’ve already done everything we worked so hard for, so this is our reward for that.
SELF: And do you feel like there's more camaraderie, too?
Roberson: Oh, a hundred percent. I mean, we’re not competing against each other, we’re working together. I think it’s really fun to just get to be able to be friends and hang out without the competition aspect.
De Jesus dos Santos: I know most of the gymnasts from international competitions, and I trained for two years at WCC [World Champions Centre] with Joscelyn, Jordan, and Simone, so I know them well. But it’s true that this experience allows me to get to know everyone a bit better and understand each person’s personality outside of training or competitions. I get very attached to people, and I already know who I’m going to miss.
Lee: Katelyn and I haven’t competed in a while, but it is like what Joss says. When you’re in season, you’re focused on competing, but then here you’re really connecting with the audience and the gymnasts who have supported you throughout your career, so it’s really cool to be able to go to different cities and actually be face-to-face with those kids and just see how happy they are. It’s almost like doing gymnastics in a whole different way now, and it feels like we’re giving back to the sport, in a sense.
Roberson: It also reminds me of how much I wanted to meet Olympians when I was their age, and how inspired I was by Olympians when I was their age. So knowing that I am helping them fall in love with the sport is such a beautiful thing to me, and it’s such a full-circle moment.
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SELF: What is your favorite thing that you've been able to do at these performances that you don’t (or didn't) get a chance to do at a normal gymnastics competition?
Roberson: Really just interacting with the fans during the show. There are so many moments when you can play to the crowd and lock eyes with a lot of them. If you’re at a regular gymnastics meet, you are so focused on the gymnastics that you don’t get a chance to really look out into the audience and see the people who are watching you do what you love.
Plus, all the dancing. I actually grew up dancing, but I had to give it up for gymnastics, which was really hard. So it’s really cool that I came back to it at an older age thanks to gymnastics.
Ohashi: For Peng and I, this is a really fun opportunity for us to get back out there and perform. I mean, [since we’re both retired], we literally haven’t done the sport in years. Peng graduated [from college] six years ago, me five, and something that I’ve not been able to successfully achieve since is feeling the same adrenaline that I got through competing.
Lee: Honestly, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be with other gymnasts, both men and women, to bond and to really get to know each other on a personal level rather than just in a competition setting. We’re all breaking out of our comfort zones together, we’re all learning new things together or doing things that maybe not everyone’s used to doing. It really feels like no one’s left out.
These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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