Mikayla Yang

Name: Mikayla Angeline Yang

Name in Chinese Character: 杨慧婷

Date of birth: 09-06-2007

Height: 145 cm

Current School: Texas Connections Academy of Houston

Age began gymnastics and reason for starting:

I started rhythmic gymnastics at 6 years old after my mom saw her friend's daughter doing it and she thought it looked very nice. She brought me to one of the gyms near my home and once I started doing it, I really enjoyed it.

First Club: Texas Rhythmic Academy

First Coach: Nastia Kartseva

Current Club: National Training Centre

Current Coach: Irina Bessmertnaya

Favourite apparatus: Ball

Favourite skill: Catch leg turns

Most difficult skill to learn so far: Split arch back turn

Personal Best Recorded and the Event in which it was recorded: 2018 USA Gymnastics National Championship: Level 9 Champion IAA (Hope Category)

Major Sporting Achievements:

• 2023 Asian Championships – IAA score of 105.75 (Achieving 10th place in IAA)
• 2021 Singapore Gymnastics National Championship: Junior Champion IAA
• 2019 Happy Cup, Ghent, Belgium: 2nd Place IAA Pre Junior
• 2019 Singapore Open Gymnastics Championship: IAA Champion Age 12 Category
• 2018 USA Gymnastics National Championship: Level 9 Champion IAA (Hope Category)
• 2017 USA Gymnastics National Championship: 2nd Place IAA Level 7    

Competition Experiences:

• Asian Games: 2022
• Asian Championships: 2023

Sporting motto or saying: Casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you

Most admired sports person:

Who is your favourite gymnast and why? Son Yeon Jae because she motivates me to become a better gymnast. She was the best RG gymnast in Asia and I want to be like her.

Favourite music: Movie Soundtracks

Favourite movie: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

My favourite local dish: Chicken Rice

My main support group: Family

If I was not an athlete, I would like to be... Artist

Top 3 items in my bucket list includes... Make my own brand, visit every theme park in the world and make the biggest plush in the world.

I love to hang out at... because... I like to hang out at the malls with my friends because I can shop for clothing and arts and crafts things.

One interesting fact that most people do not know about me is... I do Figure Skating as a hobby

Any other pre-competition routines that you practice besides warm up? I pray and listen to my routine's music and run the routine in my head.

What is the greatest challenge you have faced in your sporting career? How did you overcome that?

One of the greatest challenges that I have faced was during quarantine. I lost my passion for gymnastics, and I was lazy and tired all the time. Eventually, I overcame that with the support from my family, and I became more motivated to practice harder during quarantine.