The 16-year-old gymnast won two medals in Rio. And then things really got interesting.
"What was I doing this time last year? Ummm ..."
Laurie Hernandez had to think long and hard about a question that, for most people, shouldn't be all that difficult. But for Hernandez, our choice as the 2016 New Jersey Sportsperson of the Year, last year might as well have been a few dozen lifetimes ago.
She went from a promising young gymnast that few outside of her sport knew, to a member of her sport's high-profile U.S. Olympic Team, to one of the breakout American stars who left Rio de Janeiro with two medals and a legion of fans who fell in love with her grace and poise.
And then things really got interesting. Hernandez went from a smiling presence on the Late Night circuit, to throwing out the first pitch at Citi Field (with a flip mixed in), to the cast of the "Dancing With The Stars." She won the title in what felt like a forgone conclusion from the start, catapulting the 16-year-old to an entirely different level of fame.
She used to be surprised when someone recognized her at a convenience store in her Old Bridge hometown. Now, when she travels (and she pretty much is living out of a suitcase), she tries to conceal herself with a hooded sweatshirt but blending in is just about impossible.
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"Airports can get a little crazy sometimes, and lately, I'm constantly at the airport," Hernandez said over the phone from Reno where she is rehearsing for a national tour with the TV dance show cast. "It doesn't help if I'm with security, because then I'm noticed more because it's out of the ordinary. Why would security be walking with that little kid.
"And people walk over and go, 'Oh! It's her!'"
Hernandez is not complaining. She is still marveling at how this year has unfolded for her, at the Olympic gold and silver medals, at befriending superstar athletes like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and others, and at tangoing her way in America's living rooms.
She won both the NJ.com staff and fan vote to become our first Sportsperson of the Year, and she did so in a year when New Jersey athletes and coaches excellent on a national and international stage.
They won both the American League MVP (Mike Trout) and Cy Young (Rick Porcello) awards and helped end a decades-long championship drought in Cleveland (Kyrie Irving). They brought home a total of 12 medals from Rio and took important stands on social issues in the process (Ibtihaj Muhammad). They chased greatness at the high school level (Bob Hurley), set Rutgers on the right path collegiately (Patrick Hobbs) and set a positive example in the pros (Jason Pierre-Paul).
Hernandez is just five-feet tall but she stood above the rest, not only for her excellence on the biggest stage but for the way she handled the newfound attention with maturity beyond her years and a flair for the dramatic that made it impossible to look away.
She still hasn't had time to watch her performance in Rio, where she helped the Americans to the prestigious team gold and won an individual silver on the balance beam apparatus.
"Even now I look back and it blows my mind, because I remember looking back and thinking of how nervous I was before I competed," she said. "Having a chance to get those medals with my team and individually was so nice."
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The three words she mouthed before hopping onto the balance beam -- "I got this" -- are now the title of her upcoming book. Yes, a 16-year-old will soon have an autobiography on the shelves, because the events from these wild few months are enough material.
A book tour will be part of her schedule in 2017, and the Dancing With The Stars tour has 49 dates (including two in Red Bank) that will keep her plenty busy to start the new year.
"Honestly? It's been one thing after another," she said. "Here and there I get days when I relax, but not often. I'm excited for Christmas because I'll be able to spend time with my family, so that'll be good."
Gymnastics have taken a back seat -- for now. This is a demanding sport where athletes are often past their prime before they can legally order a drink, but Hernandez will have just turned 20 when the Tokyo Olympics roll around in July 2020. Does she plan to be there?
"Oh yeah," Hernandez said. "I'll definitely take a little break and relax before then, but at the same time, gymnastics is the sport I've loved and I feel like I still have some left in me.
"After the Olympics and Dancing With The Stars, and now I'm on tour, my life has been pretty crazy. But this is stuff that I've always wanted to do and I had an opportunity to do it this year."
The best part for New Jersey's Sportsperson of the Year? In 2016, she was just getting started.
Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.