Frederick Richard, who hails from Massachusetts, has already broken barriers in the world of gymnastics. Now, he hopes to add the Olympic medalist to his resume.
After Richard became the first American man to win an all-around medal at the World Gymnastics Championships in 13 years in the fall, his life changed.
NBC10 Boston spoke with Richard and his parents as excitement builds for this summer.
“Lots of interviews. Two brand deals have been signed and are in the works. “So, those two,” he shared. “When it comes to the gym, I’m just making improvements now, trying to set up those Olympic routines.”
All eyes are set on the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, for the 19-year-old who got his start in Stoughton, thanks to his parents.
“From very early on, he was doing handstands. I mean, he was literally doing it in his crib when he was less than two years old,” his mother said.
“What my coach Tom did was he knew I had what it took and he knew we needed to get the right resources for me to have this opportunity,” Richard said. “On Saturdays he would personally drive me to other gyms in Massachusetts, ones that had equipment.” better”.
“The gym was within walking distance of our house and they allowed us to get him in very early when we realized what he was doing but also with the aim of not making him kill himself, right? We wanted him to do it in a safe place,” his mother said.
From Massachusetts to the University of Michigan, and now an Olympic athlete – Richard feels his calling is to grow and diversify the sport.
“I realized that a lot of black kids look up to me these days, and I think it’s amazing to see that I’m that person leading the chase,” he said.
One way he’s developed the sport is through TikTok, where he’ll post videos with Simone Biles, or rap with Snoop Dogg, to his more than 640,000 followers.
“It kind of goes back to me feeling my purpose in this sport. It’s to grow this sport. And I think TikTok is that platform that gave me that opportunity.”
He is the youngest American man to win an all-around medal, a credit to Stoughton.
“The school, his coach and I would say the community has always been very proud of Frederick and supports him in every way possible,” his mother said.
His parents say he’s just getting started.
“For him, this is just the beginning, and not just for him, but as a family, we set him up to be this way,” his father said.