CORVALLIS, Ore. — Beaver Nation welcomed home the most decorated gymnast in Oregon State University's history on Wednesday as Team USA's Jade Carey arrived back in Corvallis after the Paris Olympics.
Oregon State held a public parade-style celebration for Carey's Olympic success at Parker Plaza near Reser Stadium on August 7, with Carey riding through in the back of a pickup truck as supporters lined up on either side.
Addressing the crowd after the parade, Carey thanked the OSU community and announced that she has recommitted to the university for the upcoming 2025 gymnast season.
"I look forward to continuing to compete, pushing my limits and striving for excellence with the best team by my side," she said. "Thank you all for your incredible support. Let's keep pushing forward and making history together. As always, go Beavs."
She also thanked her OSU teammates and the Beaver Nation for their support, both in person and on social media, while she was in Paris.
"I just can't thank everyone enough for always being there," she said. "It definitely doesn't go unnoticed, and I appreciate it a lot."
Carey is bringing home two medals from the Paris Olympics: a bronze from the women's individual vault and a gold medal from the gymnastics team final. Despite her struggles in the qualifying round due to illness, she bounced back and helped the team reach gold with her vault.
"It feels really, really, really special just to be a part of the team and contribute," Carey said after the gymnastics team final. "Have so much fun doing what we love out there. Taking home a gold medal feels really special."
Carey rose to stardom at the Tokyo Olympics where she won a gold medal on floor. She's one of two gymnasts on Team USA representing the Pacific Northwest. Jordan Chiles was born in Tualatin and trained in Vancouver.
The 24-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona has found a second home on the OSU gymnastics team. She's about to enter her senior year at Oregon State.
"I just knew that this was the best place for me," Carey said Wednesday, speaking about her decision to train for the Paris Olympics at OSU rather than traveling anywhere else. "I'm super happy here, we have a brand-new, incredible gymnastics facility that has everything you could imagine, and my coaches are the best people for me. They take care of me in and outside of the gym, and just have helped me reach all the goals that I ever could have wished for."
"I want her to know how proud we are — every one of us," Oregon State President Jayathi Murphy told KGW after Team USA won the gold medal last week. "Me, our entire Beaver Nation, parents, alums, everybody is just blown away by her, the perfection of her performance. We're just thrilled for her."
KGW's Tim Gordon contributed to this article.