STATESVILLE, N.C. — A Charlotte-area gymnastics coach is about to be on the world stage: He was handpicked to be a judge for the Olympics women’s gymnastics competitions.
Arturo Padilla has been studying for hours each week for months after learning he’d been picked to judge one of the most popular events in Paris. Simply preparing to be a judge at the Olympics is an intense sport in and of itself.
Padilla is the head coach at KPAC in Statesville, a gymnastics center that trains kids to compete on the national gymnastics stage. Now, their coach is actually on the world stage.
Reagan Humble, 12, trains at KPAC and is excited about her coach's new gig.
"It's really fascinating and cool because I know he's wanted to do it for a while," Humble said.
Sofia Belle says it's "amazing" that she gets to work with a coach who's so highly thought of in the gymnastics world.
Padilla has lived and coached in the U.S. for decades. He's originally from Panama and will represent his home country judging women's gymnastics.
"Going to the Olympic Games and representing my country is one of the best feelings I've ever had," Padilla said.
He's one of only 38 coaches who were selected to judge the competition, out of more than 1,000 who applied.
"I remember growing up as a kid watching competitions on TV," he said. "I was like, 'I want to be there,' and suddenly one day I was standing there next to them."
Padilla started judging women’s gymnastics a decade ago. He has even judged the world championships and says that’s what helped him qualify for the biggest job of all in Paris.
"It’s a lot of pressure," Padilla admitted. "There is a lot of studying and preparation and you want to do your best. At the end of the day, you want to give the gymnast the correct ranking."
The weight of impacting an athlete's whole life is a lot to think about for Padilla.
"Everybody has been working so hard to get here and give their best," he said. "If you make a mistake, you can give the medal to somebody else and you don't want to do that. It's a lot of pressure."
Padilla takes the responsibility very seriously. He watches hours of film and studies routines every week, preparing for his moment in Paris.
"It's like my dream's come true," Padilla said. "I have been working my entire life to be at that stage and it just came true, so it's amazing."
As exciting as it is to be on the world's biggest stage in Paris, Padilla says he's also excited to have his amazing team welcoming him when he returns to North Carolina.
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.