Olympics pommel horse guy Stephen Nedoroscik trains at this Sarasota gym

The internet’s beloved “Pommel Horse Guy” is actually a Florida Man.

Two members of the U.S. men’s artistic gymnastics team — much-memed pommel horse star Stephen Nedoroscik and comeback kid Brody Malone — have spent nearly two years training for the Paris Olympics at EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota. Alternate Shane Wiskus also prepared at the gym.

“We’re there year-round,” said Kevin Mazeika, executive director of EVO Gymnastics, on a phone call from Paris. “Gymnastics never stops.”

The hard work has already paid off. On Monday, the team won a bronze, ending a 16-year medal drought.

“We had all the pieces in place. We had the facility, the world-class equipment,“ Mazeika said. “On top of all that, the guys are funded, so all they have to do is train gymnastics.”

He attributes some of the success to the Florida sunshine.

“Sarasota is Sarasota. It’s beautiful, and that is a big part of it. The environment outside of the gym is so important,” he said. “The guys can go to the beach and relax and chill out and get their mind off of the daily training.”

EVO Gymnastics was founded in 2022. Mazeika is a three-time U.S. Olympic men’s team head coach. After he sponsored three athletes in 2007 and 2008, the team secured a medal in Beijing. Mazeika took a step back after the Rio games for a much-needed break.

Then Powers Gymnastics approached him in 2022.

“The model I developed before ‘08 is what we needed to do,” he said. “We need to fund these guys.”

The U.S. government doesn’t offer much money to gymnasts hoping to train for the Olympics, Mazeika explained. Powers Gymnastics, which runs gyms around the country, had space in their Sarasota location for an Olympic training program.

Mazeika and his family made the move from Houston. Next, six-time national champion Sam Mikulak came from Colorado to work as a coach. Olympian Syque Caesar is the men’s senior elite head coach.

Powers invested over $2 million into the program. About half of the gym is still used for recreational classes for toddlers through high schoolers. The rest is for the Olympic athletes.

The property also features a full recovery center, decked out with a sauna, infrared panels and an ice plunge. Funds come from the nonprofit MAG (Men’s Artistic Gymnastics) Foundation USA. Sponsored athletes can focus on their training instead of working to afford groceries and their own equipment.

“It’s very unique for athletes to get paid to do gymnastics at a good enough rate where they can be comfortable,” Mazeika said. “They don’t have to worry about paying rent or getting a job … everything is taken care of.”

Mazeika found athletes for the gym through word of mouth. He called Malone “one of the most amazing young men I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with.”

Malone suffered a devastating injury at a 2023 World Cup event that forced him to relearn how to walk. He recovered in time for Paris and bounced back after a rocky early performance.

“He had a rough qualifying competition but his foundation didn’t shake,” Mazeika said.

Nedoroscik, the team’s bespectacled Rubik’s Cube-crushing whiz, has also become a breakout star at this year’s games. Part of it is his performance on the pommel horse. Part of it is the memes.

“I think it’s great,” Mazeika said. “He is that guy — he’s quirky and makes no bones about it and we love him for it.”

Mazeika is currently staying outside of the Olympic village with alternate Shane Wiskus.

“Leading up to the team competition, we mirror the same schedule as a team in the village, and so it’s a super tough position to be in. You don’t know if you’re going to compete or not,” he said. “Those guys were incredible.”

He hopes the enthusiasm continues after the Paris Olympics. He’s already set his sights on fundraising for the 2028 games in Los Angeles.

“We really want to continue to help those guys because, as you can see, the concept worked.”

Watch U.S. men’s artistic gymnastics

Stephen Nedoroscik will compete during the men’s pommel horse final at 11:16 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Watch live on E!, Peacock and NBColympics.com.

To learn more about the nonprofit and to donate to the athletes, visit magfoundationusa.org.