Laurie Hernandez
The Olympic Gold Medalist, student, actress and activist supports UNICEF's efforts to protect child rights and advance gender equity.
UNICEF Ambassador since 2023
Laurie is a New Jersey-born, two-time U.S. Olympic gymnast most known for competing as part of the “Final Five” team at the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016, where she won the gold in the team event and the silver on the balance beam. Her athleticism does not end with gymnastics; she went on to win season 23 of Dancing with the Stars with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy, becoming the show's youngest winner.
In 2022, Laurie enrolled in New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she is studying drama. During the 2023 Paris Olympics, she was a gymnastics analyst for NBC.
Laurie traveled with UNICEF to the Darién region of Panama in 2023, where she witnessed UNICEF’s work to support the significant increase of migrants through the Darién Gap. She spent time with children at a UNICEF-established child-friendly space, where children can rest, play and just be a kid. She read from her New York Times bestselling book, You Got This. She also visited a self-care space for women and adolescents, where emotional and psychosocial well-being is prioritized with a gender approach.
Laurie has used her platform to advocate for mental health and girl’s and women’s empowerment throughout her career. While competing, Laurie represented the Hispanic community and sought to inspire young girls to chase their dreams regardless of their race.
In 2019, Laurie joined UNICEF USA for Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, speaking to high school and college students. She consistently uses her social media platforms to call for the protection of children's rights above issues of party and politics.
Speaking on a panel for Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, Laurie discussed how women and girls are often disproportionately impacted by global crises and ways to address the inequities.
As a keynote speaker at the Key Clubs International Convention in Atlanta in July 2024, she spoke to over 500 students about service, leadership, her experiences as an Olympic athlete and her trip with UNICEF to Panama.
In December 2025, Laurie hosted the UNICEF Gala, an annual fundraising event held in New York City. And in June 2025, she joined UNICEF USA in advocating for every child's right to play at the TST—The Soccer Tournament, San Antonio Spurs Chris Paul’s high-profile event in North Carolina, spending time in the UNICEF Kids Zone.
Read Laurie's op-ed for UNICEF USA: Sport is Play. And Every Child, Everywhere, Deserves It.
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