Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Alec Yoder

Alec Yoder is a renowned athlete who has poured his blood, sweat, and tears into his sport. From competing on the biggest stages across the globe to representing Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Games, Alex has proven he’s one of the elite gymnasts in the world.

What fans may not know is that Alec is also a passionate storyteller who’s using media to bring awareness to gymnastics.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Alec about his first Olympic Games, his love for content creation, and his plans for the future.

PC: How did you get into gymnastics?
Alec: I got into gymnastics because my brother went off to preschool. I didn’t have anything else to do, so my mom wanted to find something that she and I could do together. I always had a lot of energy, jumping around, flipping over couches, things like that.

My mom and I joined a mommy and me class at a local gym, which is pretty typical. I was about three or four years old. I fell in love with the sport right then and there. I’ve been doing it ever since.

PC: Who or what’s had the biggest influence either personally or professionally?
Alec: My family comes in number one there. The support that they have given me throughout my life, not just emotionally, physically, and spiritually, but also financially—to do gymnastics for twenty-four years is not an easy thing. I’m really thankful for that. Without them, there’s no way I’d be here.

I’ve also had a lot of coaches over the years who have invested and believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. There are a lot of people to thank for making it this far. I definitely didn’t do it on my own, and I definitely couldn’t have done it on my own. I’m really thankful for my family, friends, coaches, and teammates who have been a great support system for me throughout all of this.

PC: Being an athlete, you experience a lot of highs and lows. During those more challenging times, how are you able to persevere?
Alec: I had that dream in my mind. When I was in college, I had two shoulder surgeries, which were pretty difficult to handle while still competing. But here I am feeling stronger than ever, better than ever, and coming off my first Olympic Games.

When it comes to difficult times, you have to think back to why you do it, why you started in the first place. All along that journey, I had the Olympic flag on my wall. I knew that that was my dream. It didn’t matter what obstacles came in my way; I had the right people around me pushing me, and I had the right mindset. I kept that goal at the forefront of my mind, and here we are today. It’s a beautiful thing.

PC: On the flip side of that, you’ve also experienced a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Alec: It’s got to be the Olympic Trials just a couple of months ago—that was incredible. It was high pressure, not a lot of athletes competing, and a lot of people in the stand. I knew what was riding on that competition. My entire dream was right in front of me, and it came down to that competition. Having two good routines and getting named to the Olympic team was one of the highlights of my life.

After I got named to the Olympic team, I ran across the arena and jumped into the stands. I was able spend that moment with my family, my teammates, and my best friends. That moment will stick in my mind forever. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, for sure.

PC: There were a couple of different athletes that were in contention for that one individual specialist spot on Team USA. You’ve experienced being left off a national team. What were you feeling as you were waiting for that news? Did you have a sense that you made the Olympic team?
Alec: No. Well, I felt in my mind that I had earned it. I felt like that it was going to be my spot, but in the back of my mind I was thinking that I’ve been left off of so many national teams. In my mind, I was like, “Well, if they’re not going to put me on a national team, they’re not going to select me for an Olympic team.”

At that moment, I chose to focus on the positives. There was nothing else I could do in that situation. In my mind, I was like, “It’s fifty-fifty. I did what I needed to do. I came here. I think I deserve that spot.” But when it’s out of your hands, it makes it difficult. It’s a crazy feeling sitting there waiting.

PC: You’re fresh off your first Olympics. When you look back at your experience in Tokyo, what stands out the most?
Alec: That’s a great question. The thing that stands out the most has to be the atmosphere of the Olympic Games. It’s crazy because there weren’t people in the stands. My family wasn’t there. My friends weren’t there. That was tough. But the atmosphere and energy were incredible—that feeling that I knew I was competing at the Olympic Games, showing up to practice, showing up to the competitions, seeing the Olympic rings plastered everywhere.

I’m walking past people I’ve looked up to my entire life, meeting these people who were once idols, and now they’re rivals; they’re people I’m competing against. I would say that’s something I’ll remember forever. My teammates did a great job of creating a great atmosphere as well. We had a great dynamic as a team. That energy is something that I’ll never forget.

PC: You’re in a unique position now where you don’t have to wait another four years for another Olympic Games. Have you started to think about Paris?
Alec: Oh, yeah. The second I came down and didn’t win a medal in Tokyo, I immediately started thinking about Paris. There’s a world championship in about a month and a half in Japan, so I’m going to compete in about three weeks and try to make that team. All my focus is on that right now. Once that’s done, all eyes are on Paris. That’s definitely something that’s on my mind; it’s something that I’m going to go for. It was a dream to compete at the Olympic Games, but I feel like I have a lot more to offer. I feel like I got more in the tank. I got the right people around me. I got to keep pushing.

PC: You also took your fans and community on the ride with you through vlogging. How did you discover your passion for content creation?
Alec: Growing up, I created GoPro videos with my friends. They weren’t anything great, but I always enjoyed doing that. I got a camera when I was in college, but I didn’t use it very much. Then, quarantine hit in March. I was like, “You know what? I need to do something.” If I didn’t, I would have been playing video games all day, and that’s not good. [laughs] So, I decided to pick back up my camera and run around taking photos with my friends. We were going on a lot of hikes and things like that to try and get outside, so I was taking a lot of pictures. I was like, “You know what? I like this.” I remembered how fun this was, so I kept going. I started learning the ins and outs of different software and learned how to edit photos.

I really started with photos. Once I started being able to take a picture and make it look the way that I wanted, I was hooked. Then, I slowly started getting into video, so now I’m doing photography and video, but the vlogs have been awesome. I’ve really enjoyed doing that and putting them together. It’s cool to give a behind-the-scenes look at gymnastics. A lot of girls do it, and a lot of girls do it really well. People love it. I thought, “Nobody does this for men’s gymnastics, and I want to be somebody who facilitates the ability for people to fall in love with men’s gymnastics, to get more exposure for the sport. This is right up my alley of creative media and creating content.

I felt like it was a good fit. The first vlog I ever posted has 225,000 views on YouTube, which is awesome. That shows me that people do care, people are interested, and they enjoy it.

This is a passion of mine outside of gymnastics. It’s so good to have a healthy passion outside of the gym. This is what I want to do when the day comes that I hang up the grips, and I’m done competing. This is what I’m going to do full-time. I really enjoy it. It’s crazy because quarantine gave me my love for the camera, so I’m thankful for that.

PC: How much do you use this passion for content creation to decompress after a stressful day in the gym? How beneficial has that been to your own mental health?
Alec: It’s been amazing. The mental health piece is exactly it because you can get so caught up in gymnastics. For a long time, I felt like the only thing that I had to offer this world was gymnastics. That’s a really sad mentality. I know a lot of athletes go through that. For me to have this passion outside of the gym is incredible for my mental health. It’s connected me with new people—I’ve met so many new people. I do a lot of car shoots, so I’ve met a lot of people through that who I would have never otherwise met.

I shoot content for the men’s gymnastics team at Ohio State, which is awesome. Those are the guys I was on a team with—I love those guys. To go in there and take pictures for them, see how much they love them, and then they post them on Instagram, is a great feeling for me. Creating content is awesome, because you can do it with people, and it can help you meet people. The ability to take a photo of somebody, edit it, send it to them, and see their reaction is awesome.

When I was in college, I always wanted someone running around with a camera behind me. That’s what I’m trying to give the guys on the team. It’s so important to have those things that you love doing outside of your sport, outside of your job. It keeps me ticking. It keeps me moving in the right direction with a positive mindset. It helps me not think about gymnastics all day.

PC: What is your process like when you’re creating content? How much do you plan ahead? What kind of content can we expect from you in the future?
Alec: It really depends. Let’s say for example, I post little Instagram videos. I love lo-fi music—it’s a great vibe. I’m an early riser, so I love making videos in the morning. Normally, I’ll have an idea. I make videos every Saturday morning. On Fridays, I sit around and think about what is something that I want to create. For example, I just got a new microphone for my vlogs, so I made a kickback chill video of me unboxing that. I really try and plan out my videos. I plan out every shot that I’m going to do and how I’m going to do it.

If I’m doing a more dynamic video, like when I’m working in the gym, I try and plan out how I’m going to position the camera and how I’m going to transition into the next shot. I really try and write down everything that I want to shoot, what songs I’ll use, and what transitions. Then, when I’m going to shoot, it gives me the ability to do it in a timely manner, where I can do what I want to do. Whatever is in my head, it’s cool to write it down, because then it’ll help me create in the future.

As far as future videos, I’m not sure what the content will be. I know I’m going to keep doing them. I’m getting my Olympic rings tattoo tomorrow, so I’m going to vlog that. My goal is never to make mindless content; my goal is to make it as high quality as I possibly can. I don’t want to be pumping out three vlogs a week. I don’t want to waste people’s time. I want it to be high quality, good color grade, good audio, things like that. I want to make sure I love all the content I produce—that’s my focus right now.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Alec: Mike Tyson Mysteries.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Alec: Safe Haven.

PC: Favorite book?
Alec: I’m not a huge reader, but David Boudia is a friend of mine. He’s a diver, and he has a great book. I have read that book about four times, so I’m going to say that one.

PC: What’s your pre-competition routine or ritual?
Alec: I try and get as much sleep as I can. Exactly an hour before I go to compete, hop in the shower, get out, put my uniform on, listen to loud, obnoxious music, drink a red bull, and I’m ready to go.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Alec: Chelsea Cutler.

To keep up with Alec, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Photo Credit: Alec Yoder