Felicia Hano is an elite gymnast from California. She recently moved the Gym-Max and is training for the upcoming elite season. She competed yesterday at the American Classic and qualified as a three event specialist (vault, beam, floor) for the P&G Championships. We got a few minutes to catch up with her and she tells us about training with Kyla Ross, her new floor routine from Dominic Zito, and her goals for elite.

 

Gymnastike: First, we wanted to get an overall update. Tell me how training has been going for you.

Felicia Hano: Training has been going really well. I’ve been trying to work on new skills and clean up the old skills that I already had.

 

G: Tell me about some of the new skills that you’re working on.

FH: I’ve been working a double layout on floor. On bars I added a Shaposh Pak in the beginning of my routine. Hopefully I'll be able to compete these at Classics and Championships. I’m also doing different combinations just my skills in different orders. 

 

G: You recently moved to Gym-Max, tell me how you made that decision.

FH: I was looking for elite coaches and I knew that Howie [Liang] and Jenny [Liang] could take me further in elite… I knew they could take me where I wanted to go.

 

G: What do you see as the biggest advantage being coached by Howie and Jenny?

FH: Definitely their experience. They have a lot of experience with Kyla and having Kyla compete internationally. Also Kyla has been to camp for so many years now so they know everything about that too. They’re great coaches. They always push me in a good direction. They’ve helped me so much already. 

 

G: What’s it like being Kyla’s teammate?

FH: Kyla is a great teammate she always pushes me to be a better gymnast. We always help each other out. It’s pretty cool because at my old gym there weren’t really elites so I had to do everything by myself like go to camps and all the competitions but now I have a teammate and it’s a lot more fun. 

G: Tell me about your experience at the National Team camps

FH: Last march I went to the national team camp and it was a lot of fun especially because I had Kyla there with me. It was just a different experience just having kyla there and having her support me. Having a teammate there always helps. When I went there by myself I didn’t really know what to expect. But this time Howie, Jenny, and Kyla really prepared me for what was going to happen.

 

G: Who are you closest with at camps besides Kyla?

FH: I'm pretty close with Mykayla Skinner. we roomed with each other last year and that was a lot of fun. I also like to see Alexis Vasquez. We used to be teammates and she was one of my best friends when I was little. 

 

G: Do you have any fun stories from camp?

FH: There was this one camp when it was really stormy outside. Me, Mykayla, and Nia Dennis were really bored so we just made a bunch of Vines. They were really silly we were just making songs and dances and acting crazy!

 

G: What are your upcoming goals?

FH: One of my goals would be to make the senior national team. And then hopefully I can get some international assignments. If the olympics happen, they happenm but if they don’t then it’s ok. 

 

G: Tell me about your college decision. What drew you to UCLA?

FH: Definitely the location because it’s really close to where I live and the weather is great here! The coaches are awesome, I love what they stand for and everything as a school, it’s just so great there. 

 

G: Your website lists Miss Val as your choreographer. Does she still do your routines?

FH: She choreographed my last routine but I actually just got a new one from Dominic Zito.

Images via Felicia Hano's Instagram

G: That’s great! Tell me about your new routine.

FH: I LOVE my new routine! It’s so cool and the music is from the “Divergent” soundtrack. I love that movie and I love that book so it’s awesome using music from the soundtrack. It was so much fun (working with Dominic). He’s really funny. My routine is really fast paced but it was a lot of fun learning it. 

 

G: Tell me more about the style of your routine. And are you playing a character in your routine?

FH: This routine was definitely out of my comfort zone. He wanted me to be powerful but at the same time when the music changes I have to be soft. I’m not the best dancer but I tried my hardest to do what he envisioned! I think that in the routine I'm kind of like a warrior. It's kind of going along with the Divergent theme- I’m supposed to be dauntless. 
 

G: Growing up who was your gymnastics idol?

FH: I remember watching Carly Patterson in the 2004 olympics and I wanted to be Carly Patterson! I would jump off and do flips off my couches and pretend to be Carly Patterson. I’d put a leo on and run around the house and pretend to be her!

 

G: Now that you’re at the elite level and competing with the best, who do you look up to now?

FH: I definitely look up to Kyla. she’s a great role model. She went to the olympics and she’s so confident. She’s a great leader. I’d definitely say she’s one of my role models. 

G: Thanks so much for talking with us and good luck this season!
FH: Thank you!