Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik quickly skyrocketed in popularity after competing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He then went on to compete on “Dancing With the Stars” season 33 alongside partner Rylee Arnold, finishing in fourth.
Now, fans love keeping up with Stephen and his adventures, especially when he reunites with Rylee for fun outings.
However, the athlete will likely be more careful in future adventures after a recent incident sent him to the emergency room.
Stephen Nedoroscik Saved a Baby Animal, Resulting in an ER Visit
Stephen Nedoroscik is a huge animal lover. However, it seems that trait got him into a bit of hot water recently.
“Lesson learned don’t touch the cute bat 😭😭” the 27-year-old shared on Instagram. “I just felt bad for the little guy he would’ve gotten stepped on ☹️ at least now I won’t have to worry about rabies for like 30 years tho 😂”
“Come with me to see if I need a rabies shot!” Stephen starts the video before beginning the story.
“There was this little tiny baby bat and I love animals,” the athlete recalled, revealing footage from the incident. Stephen worried that someone would step on the bat, so he wrapped him up in a paper towel and put him in a bush.
Immediately after, Stephen sent the video to his Team USA doctor and asked for advice. Since he took such care not to touch the bat with his bare hands, Stephen thought he would be fine. However, his doctor thought otherwise and advised him to go to the emergency room and get checked out.
The ER care team decided the Olympian absolutely needed the rabies shot after coming in contact with the bat. Throughout the video, Stephen Nederoscik remains jovial, even just before receiving four shots. He and his friend even cheerfully sing “Shots” by LMFAO jokingly.
The Gymnast Shares His Takeaway With Fans
Fans love Stephen Nedoroscik’s huge heart, but urged him to take better care in the future. The athlete addressed the severity of the situation and encouraged his followers to be careful as well.
“Now look, I didn’t get bit, I didn’t get scratched. But the truth is, rabies has literally only ever had like 40 cases in the entire history of its existence where people showed symptoms and survived,” Stephen explained. “And if I got a little bit of that bat saliva on me somewhere and then touched my face, it puts me risk of getting one of the most deadly diseases in the world, so better safe than sorry. Honestly, the shots were not that bad. Guys, it was worth it. Saving that little bat was definitely worth it.”
Fans expect to see “Dancing With the Stars” return to ABC this fall.
