Katelyn Ohashi

A star in elite gymnastics long before she dominated the internet, Katelyn Ohashi had the Olympics in her sightline as she won her first senior elite competition at 15, taking gold over Simone Biles. A severe back injury sidelined her soon after, but in the adversity, she found her voice and discovered her power. Choosing to enroll at UCLA and compete for the Bruins under the guidance of legendary coach Valorie Kondos, she returned to gymnastics in a balanced and healthy way, developing a positive relationship with her body, a comfort with success, and effectively fueling her inner creative. With a focus on gender studies and exploring a range of art mediums, including photography and poetry, she found the confidence to share her story and struggles through writing and performing her poetry at open mics around LA.

In post-graduate life, Ohashi stood on the ESPY stage to accept her award for Best Play and delivered a rousing, original spoken word – calling out body shamers, sexual assault, and cyberbullying. She also spoke at the 2022 UCLA Spring Commencement, becoming the youngest commencement speaker in UCLA history. She is currently an active member of the Women’s Sports Foundation and also serves as Creative Director for Sequel tampons, created by two female Stanford grads. Smart, driven, fun, likable, and inspiring, Ohashi is a creative force and original voice primed to help inspire all people to embrace challenges, love themselves, find their voice and live an authentic, joyful, and purpose-driven life.