Fred Richard Wants Everyone to Know He's the 'Future of Gymnastics' After His Olympic Trials Win (Exclusive)

Just a few weeks ago, Fred Richard put himself on the Olympics map with his surprise win at U.S. gymnastics trials — and now, as he along with Team USA head to Paris in the hopes of snagging gold, the 20-year-old gymnastics champion tells PEOPLE about his plans for his first Olympic Games and why he’s the “future of gymnastics.”

Richard, speaking with PEOPLE on behalf of CELSIUS, came up big in the men’s Olympic trials, narrowly beating teammate and reigning national champion Brody Malone. It was a performance Richard says was due to his hard work leading up to the qualifying competition. 

“I came in expecting it. The next step for trials was obviously to have a better performance than championships. And so I knew that, I mean I still had to perform very well to win it, but I knew it's definitely very possible and a great stepping stone to be prepared for this Olympics coming up,” he says.

As the youngest member of the men's gymnastics team, Richard is heading to his first Olympic Games with veterans and 2020 Tokyo Olympians Malone and Shane Wiskus, and he is filled with the excitement of what Paris will bring. “I have a chance to represent the U.S., represent all the people backing me, the sponsors, the coaches, everybody, and really do something big in Paris,” he says. “So it's really exciting.”

Aside from going for gold in Paris, Richard, who just finished up his sophomore year as a member of the University of Michigan’s Wolverines gymnastics team, is very clear about where he sees himself professionally beyond Paris — and it starts with becoming a household name.

“My biggest goal is by the end of this Olympics, number one, I guess everybody starts to know who I am and realize, okay, this kid is the future of gymnastics and for the next coming Olympics he's going to be something big,” he tells PEOPLE confidently. 

“It's kind of like my, 'Hello world.' I got that from Tiger Woods. It's kind of just telling the world that you are going to be something special,” Richard says.

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While bringing home a gold medal for the men’s gymnastics team is a short-term goal (and if he achieves it, would end a drought dating back to 2008 when the team last made it to the Olympic podium), Richard has bigger dreams in mind and aims to use the international platform of the Paris Games to reach them.

“Olympics is one step of the bigger process. Most people will imagine it to be the peak. But my biggest goals are bringing eyes to the sport, growing the sport, representing my community and inspiring young Black kids like me. And so the Olympics is just one other stepping stone,” he says.

Another goal that Richard has already checked off his list is partnering with brands — evidenced by his new partnership with energy brand CELSIUS, which began in January. Asked why teaming up with the brand seemed like a good fit, he says they “speak the same message” of fitness and "healthy living.”

“They see the vision, and I think going forward after this Olympics, we plan to explore that more with working with different athletes at Michigan and building something bigger through athletics.”

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Though the 2024 Olympics haven't even begun, Richard is already looking ahead to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But he tells PEOPLE that he's staying in the moment to be successful in Paris.

“I have to get the job done [in Paris] before we can look too far, but sometimes my mind wanders, what am I going to be competing in 2028? What is my gymnastics going to look like? So, I try to sway back to let's stay in the moment, stay present and focus on the next month beforehand,” Richard says.

Known for his vibrant personality and big smile when competing, Richard says that entertainment awaits fans tuning into the Paris Games. “I think they're just going to see a really entertaining performance by men’s gymnastics team and the women's.”

“But I'm there to entertain, I'm there to have fun and I think we're going to show up, show off.”

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympics newsletter, to get the biggest stories from the Games delivered straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.