Temple University gymnast Kyrstin Johnson posted her floor exercise routine on social media before turning off her phone, closing her eyes and going to bed on Jan. 5. When daylight woke her up the next morning, she checked her phone, which had numerous notification banners popping up.

When she scrolled through social media, the only thing that kept popping up on her timeline was herself. She wondered: "Who sent it?"

Gymnastics Planet, a social media account that highlights the sport, retweeted the video.

Johnson's face lit up.

“I was like, ‘No way.’ I called my mom and I said, ‘Mom, have you seen what’s online? "She said 'no,' but then I showed her and she flipped the lid, and then I told my grandma ... and she went crazy, too," Johnson told ESPN. "I'm shocked, confused; I'm lucky."

Johnson's hip-hop-inspired free dance performed at the Temple Cherry and White Invitational, choreographed by Temple junior Christina Elliot, a member of the Diamond Gems dance team, immediately went viral on social media, earning her a Over 267,400 likes and counting. She performed the same move in her season debut against West Virginia, posting a 9.85 grade.

During the summer, Johnson sat in the car with her mother and listened to the radio. When the beat of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the hip-hop song that was part of a nine-song battle between the Compton, Calif., rapper and Drake When it rang, the two faced each other, fascinated by each other. Johnson worked on the song before committing it to memory: She needed to incorporate it into her winter free dance practice.

"When I first heard Kendrick Lamar's song, I automatically knew I wanted it in my daily life. And I knew I wanted it to be the first song in my daily life ," Johnson said.

She worked with Elliott on her daily workouts, emphasizing that she wanted a fast-paced workout that spoke to her roots in black culture.

"I've never been a gymnast who danced to slow music. I needed hip-hop. I needed something that not only I could really get into, but the audience could get into, and (Elliott) gave me that. Stuff like that,” Johnson said with a laugh.

When she saw the routine, she was in awe.

"The day she showed me the routine, I literally fell on the floor and I thought, 'This is perfect.' She was so happy that I loved it and that it didn't take me that long to learn," Johnson said.

During her regular set, she followed the West Coast diss record with 310babii's "soak city (do it)," in which she and Dougie performed the viral "Brawl" dance move that Lamar did in the music video for the GNX hit. This popular dance move debuted in 2010 as a pairing with Cali Swag District's hit record "Teach Me How To Dougie."

Johnson didn’t know what her third — and final — song would be on the routine, but she credits her mother’s discovery and vision with helping make the routine final.

"I was like, 'What's going to happen?' and then Gloria came on the radio, and my mom looked at me and asked 'Why didn't we consider this song? This should be the song,'" Johnson said.

Johnson ended the routine with Gloria's "TGIF," which included a move that alluded to the Universal Training Team, before placing her signature crown on her head in front of the judges.

"When I heard the song, I thought about my crown, and it all came together perfectly," Johnson told ESPN.

Johnson said the viral song and dance moves are a nod to her personality, HBCU culture and roots.

"It really shows my personality. I've always been outgoing and happy, but I really wanted to bring the HBCU culture to Temple, just to show that it doesn't matter where you go. You can still bring your culture ( And) find a school that you feel comfortable with and still carry with you," Johnson said.

Johnson begins a new chapter after transferring from Talladega College, a historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. At Talladega, she won the national vault title at the USA Gymnastics Championships with a score of 9.875. She made history at Talladega as the first student gymnast to participate in the program, making her the first HBCU gymnast in the state of Alabama.

Due to lack of resources, the program closed in July 2024.

Since transferring, Johnson told ESPN that adjusting to Temple hasn't been challenging.

"Yes, I do come from an HBCU, but one thing I really like about Temple is that I'm still able to be myself here. I can still bring the culture here, and that's exactly what I do," Johnson explain. “I love that this team really brought me in and accepted me for who I am.”

She hopes her training routines will inspire young gymnasts trying to find their way in the sport and embrace their authentic selves.

"This is a new generation of gymnastics. It seems like everyone is starting to be more open-minded in terms of music choices and dance styles. But I also realize that people like little things about me, like my hair, and I think those young gymnasts — especially people who look like me — should do it without pressure," Johnson said.

"I know who Kestin Johnson is at Talladega and now I'm figuring out who Kestin Johnson is at Temple. ... I'm happy with my performance and everyone else is happy too. Like , every day.”