Podcast Summary: The Isabel Brown Show

Episode: MyKayla Skinner EXPOSES Women’s Gymnastics: Politics, Simone Biles, and Standing for Truth
Date: November 6, 2025
Guest: MyKayla Skinner, Olympic Silver Medalist Gymnast

Episode Overview

In this episode, Isabel Brown welcomes Olympic gymnast and silver medalist MyKayla Skinner to discuss the complex, often fraught world of women’s gymnastics. The conversation centers on MyKayla’s personal journey, the pressure-packed path to elite gymnastics, the impact of internal politics, the Larry Nassar abuse scandal, the challenges of speaking out as a woman in sports, and her recent advocacy for safe and fair women’s athletics. Special focus is given to the fallout from Simone Biles’s public comments about Riley Gaines and women's sports, MyKayla’s unexpected Olympic moment, and her partnership with Jennifer Sey’s XXXY athletics organization.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to MyKayla Skinner and Gymnastics Journey

• Background: MyKayla introduces herself as a lifelong gymnast from Arizona, now living in Utah with her family. She started the sport at age 5 following her siblings (03:13).
• Early Talent & Commitment: Coaches predicted Olympic potential early; by age 12, she was training 42 hours a week, pursuing the elite track to the Olympics (04:13).
  • Quote: “I was doing seven hours a day, 42 hours a week at the age of 12. So basically was my whole life.” —MyKayla Skinner [04:13]

2. The Toll and Lessons of Elite Gymnastics

• Sacrifices & Growth: Discusses intense physical and emotional demands of the sport, and how it shaped her character, commitment, and ability to be a leader (05:54).
  • Quote: "Gymnastics teaches you so many things…hard work, discipline, just how to be a good teammate, how to be a good friend." —MyKayla Skinner [05:54]
• College vs Elite: Shares how NCAA gymnastics (University of Utah) allowed more personal growth and fun compared to the rigid, high-pressure elite world (05:54).

3. 2020 Tokyo Olympics: Adversity, Opportunity, Triumph

• Coming Back After Setbacks: After being an alternate in 2016, MyKayla returned to elite competition, facing injuries, COVID-19, and doubters (13:00).
  • Quote: “A lot of people told me not to come back to elite gymnastics…they just told me that I'm a sucky gymnast… And, you know, I came back…proved a lot of people wrong.” —MyKayla Skinner [13:00]
• Unexpected Olympic Competition: MyKayla was selected as an individual event specialist and faced heartbreak after failing to qualify for her target events—but a late opportunity arrived when Simone Biles withdrew (20:23).
  • Quote: “Simone said, like, I’m not gonna do vault. You’re in. You’re going in.” —MyKayla Skinner [22:19]
• Winning Silver: Despite an emotional rollercoaster, she won unexpected Olympic silver in vault finals (23:58).
  • Quote: “When I finally got the medal, I wasn’t even crying. I was so happy.” —MyKayla Skinner [23:58]
  • Memorable Moment: MyKayla reflects on the medal not as the object, but as the culmination of a life’s dream and sacrifice shared with her family and coaches (24:32).

4. The Larry Nassar Scandal and Silence in Gymnastics

• Impact on Athletes: MyKayla describes the shock and sadness of learning what many teammates had experienced, the culture of silence, and the need for advocacy (25:48).
  • Quote: “It just made me very sad to know that my teammates were going through something like that and feeling like they couldn't have a voice or they couldn't say anything…” —MyKayla Skinner [25:48]
• Link to Current Advocacy: The atmosphere of fear and silence in gymnastics has made athletes hesitant to speak out on other issues, such as protecting women’s sports from unfair competition (28:58).

5. Women’s Sports, Vaulting into Advocacy, & Simone Biles Feud

• The Biles–Gaines Fallout: Isabel and MyKayla discuss Simone Biles’s criticism of Riley Gaines and what it signaled about division and politics in women’s sports (00:30, 28:58).
  • Quote: “I want her [my daughter] to feel safe, protected and loved… I don't want her changing in a locker room with a biological man. That's just… it’s not okay.” —MyKayla Skinner [33:30]
• Personal Stakes: MyKayla describes the fear of “cancellation” in gymnastics but says becoming a mother inspired her to use her platform and work with XXXY athletics (32:13).

6. Call to Action for Female Athletes & Next Generation

• Importance of Speaking Out: Encourages other athletes, including Simone Biles and Team USA, to unite and protect opportunities for women in sport (35:30).
  • Quote: “Those aren't the people that I want on my side…It's about fighting for what's right and what you know is right and letting girls have the same…the same freedom that we did in sports.” —MyKayla Skinner [35:35]
• Hope for Sisterhood: Hopes today’s advocacy will inspire a safer and more supportive environment for future generations (36:44).

7. Motherhood, Family, and a Fuller Life

• Motherhood as Life’s Greatest Medal: MyKayla shares her passion for family and motherhood, emphasizing that parenthood brings more fulfillment than any athletic accomplishment (37:18).
  • Quote: “The greatest medal that I could ever receive, greater than an Olympic medal, is becoming a mom.” —MyKayla Skinner [37:18]

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Introduction to Simone Biles—Riley Gaines feud: [00:30]
• MyKayla’s origin in gymnastics: [03:13]
• Elite training intensity/childhood sacrifices: [04:13]
• Preparation for 2020 Olympics and overcoming adversity: [13:00]
• The moment she learned she would compete for Simone Biles: [21:34]
• Winning the Olympic silver medal (Vault Finals story): [22:19-24:32]
• Athlete A, Larry Nassar scandal, the cost of silence: [25:48-28:58]
• Advocacy for women’s sports, personal stakes as a mother: [32:13-34:59]
• Message to fellow athletes (including Biles): [35:30]
• Reflections on family and motherhood: [37:18]

Notable Quotes

• “I was doing seven hours a day, 42 hours a week at the age of 12. So basically was my whole life.”
  —MyKayla Skinner [04:13]

• “Gymnastics teaches you so many things…hard work, discipline, just how to be a good teammate, how to be a good friend.”
  —MyKayla Skinner [05:54]

• “A lot of people told me not to come back to elite gymnastics…they just told me that I'm a sucky gymnast… And, you know, I came back…proved a lot of people wrong.”
  —MyKayla Skinner [13:00]

• “Simone said, like, I’m not gonna do vault. You’re in. You’re going in.”
  —MyKayla Skinner [22:19]

• “When I finally got the medal, I wasn’t even crying. I was so happy.”
  —MyKayla Skinner [23:58]

• “It just made me very sad to know that my teammates were going through something like that and feeling like they couldn't have a voice or they couldn't say anything…”
  —MyKayla Skinner [25:48]

• “The greatest medal that I could ever receive, greater than an Olympic medal, is becoming a mom.”
  —MyKayla Skinner [37:18]

Conclusion

This episode provides a frank, compelling look inside women’s gymnastics, blending personal testimony with a sweeping critique of politics and injustice in the sport. MyKayla Skinner stands out as a voice of hope and courage, motivated by her own trials, her daughter’s future, and the conviction that young women deserve a safe, fair, and empowering environment in sport. Her invitation for other athletes to stand together for what is right serves as a passionate rallying cry to a new generation of women in athletics.