America crowned a new national hero when U.S. men’s gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik nailed his pommel horse routine, clinching the first medal — a bronze — for the team in 16 years.
Nedoroscik, dubbed “Pommel Horse Guy” or “Pommel Horse Steve” by fans on social media, was a contentious pick to join the team. Coaches selected Nedoroscik to fill a weak spot on the team in the pommel horse — the only event he competed in at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Nedoroscik’s popularity continued as he went on to win bronze in the pommel horse individual event. Memes and popular TikTok trends took over social media highlighting the 25-year-old Penn State alum’s gymnastic skills. My personal favorite on TikTok is one of the U.S men’s gymnastic team with the audio, “I can’t believe that it’s finally me and you and you and me, just us and your friend STEVE!”
Besides his pommel horse finesse, Steve has an engineering degree, and he loves to solve Rubix cubes and play the video game “Rocket League.” Both days that he took home bronze medals for the U.S., he posted on Instagram stories that he had solved his daily Rubix cube in under 10 seconds — a personal record that he likes to push himself to maintain.
Of course, as soon as a sporty, good-looking guy emerged on the national stage, many questions about his personal life emerged. The most pressing question was “Is he single?” The answer is no. Nedoroscik has been dating his girlfriend, Tess McCracken, for eight years since they met as first-years in the Penn State gymnastics program. He’s obsessed with her, and it’s adorable.
It was a nice change of pace to see this Clark Kent lookalike be the heartthrob of the internet instead of some of his more beefy, stereotypical fellow Olympians. When I first saw his routine, I instantly declared that this nerdy gymnast was my type. Friends quickly pointed out that he is… My boyfriend is also a dark-haired, lanky, glasses-wearing self-declared NERD, and that’s one of the things I love most about him.
That is why I am here to tell the masses…
DATE THE NERDS!
The nerdy, goofy person is usually a side character to the blonde bombshell or dashing quarterback. When the nerd is the lead, they need a dramatic makeover to seem pretty to their eventual love interest. Nedoroscik proved that you don’t have to remove the glasses to complete the de-nerding makeover, and nerds certainly can be brainy and brawny. Some romantic comedies have accepted the notion that sometimes the nerd gets the girl or the guy, but others are still in the camp that thinks the nerds are destined to be alone forever.
I’m here with several claims as to why dating nerds is the way to go.
You will never be bored.
It’s impossible to be bored while dating a nerd. They are always learning something new and want to share it with you. Nerds have a variety of obsessions, from “Star Wars” to “Legend of Zelda” and extremely complicated chess openings to thermodynamics. They know an obscene amount about each of their hobbies and are always discovering new ones.
Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with a nerd, but you can’t help but be caught up in their infectious joy for the things they are passionate about. It’s worth every nerdy ramble and late night thought.
You will learn the most random things.
Did you know that at one point in the 20th century PepsiCo possessed the sixth largest naval fleet in the world? I didn’t either until I dated a nerd. PepsiCo acquired the decrepit ships from the USSR and sold them to a Norwegian shipyard for scraps, but for the short time they owned them, they had a larger fleet than India.
Nerds have the most random fun facts stored in their back pocket for just the perfect moment. Whether that’s trivia night with their friends or a 11:30 p.m. storytime, you’re bound to learn things you never would have otherwise if you hadn’t taken a chance on that nerdy person that caught your eye.
You will always have a listening ear.
Nerds are eager to learn and want to share your passions with you. In exchange for all the nerdy rambles you will hear, you get to share your own. Nerdy or just passionate, you can share all kinds of stories and still have more to share between the two of you. The right nerd will be excited to hear everything you want to say, or at least willing to hear you out, and that’s pretty special.
Nerds are loyal to a fault.
Nerds are sometimes passed over because of stereotypes or high school gossip that exist far beyond the walls of our teen years. However, when you catch a nerd — a good one at least — they’ll stick around for as long as you’ll have them. They’re special creatures who will make you feel special yourself.
Someday, we will all get old and won’t be in our prime anymore. The looks will fade, but what won’t fade is the ability to laugh with the right person. So go out there and find your own Rubix cube solving “Pommel Horse Guy” who will make you smile.
