The first time Presley June saw a gymnast perform, she didn’t hesitate.

She was standing inside the City Museum in St. Louis, Mo., watching a children’s circus when something about the movement — the precision, the control, the way the performer moved through the air — stopped her in her tracks. For her mom, Jessica Riley, it was immediately clear this wasn’t just curiosity.

“I remember her eyes getting huge, like she had just discovered magic,” Riley tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She said, ‘I want to do that,’ and she meant it.”

Now 6 years old, Presley is a compeтιтive gymnast and a triple amputee, having lost her right arm above the elbow, her right leg above the knee and part of her left foot in a traumatic accident at age 2.

From the beginning, Riley says, her daughter has approached life with a mindset that leaves little room for limitation.

“She figures things out in her own way, often faster than the rest of us,” Riley says. “It hasn’t slowed her down; if anything, it’s made her more creative and more confident in her ability to problem-solve.”

At home in Kentucky near Mammoth Cave, that determination is woven into daily life. Presley is, as her mom describes, “pure energy wrapped in sunshine,” a child who moves from one idea to the next with excitement and persistence.

“She’s the kid who will try something 10 times just to prove to herself she can do it,” Riley says.

So when she eventually stepped into a gymnastics gym, there was no buildup — just action.

“She walked in like she owned the place,” Riley recalls. “Absolutely no hesitation, no fear.”

That confidence held steady from the start. When her first attempt at a forward roll ended in a fall off the mat, Presley didn’t flinch — she reset and tried again.

From there, her progress didn’t follow a traditional path. Instead, it unfolded through constant adjustment and collaboration, as Presley worked closely with her coach to develop techniques that fit her body — shaping each movement rather than simply following instructions.

“She is part of the decision-making and really has great input when it comes to figuring out how to adapt certain skills,” Riley says.

Some milestones have taken time — especially on events like the balance beam, where control and confidence must be built step by step. But those moments, Riley says, have become some of the most meaningful.

“She always says her favorite gymnastics memory is ‘being able to take actual steps on the beam without any help or holding on to anyone,’ ” she shares. “This took a while.”

Other challenges remain ongoing, particularly on the bars, where strength and equipment adaptation continue to evolve. Still, Riley says her daughter’s approach hasn’t wavered.

“She doesn’t compare herself to anyone,” Riley adds. “She celebrates every tiny improvement.”

That mindset has carried Presley into compeтιтion, where she has already qualified for state- and regional-level meets — often competing as the only athlete in her division.

“She really loves to compete,” Riley says. “She says her true compeтιтion is herself.”

Inside the gym, she’s also found something just as important as progress: belonging.

Surrounded by teammates, coaches and even compeтιтors who cheer her on, Presley has become part of a community that meets her with both support and expectation.

“Her teammates and families cheer louder for her than anyone,” Riley says. “Complete strangers root for her every time.”

One video of Presley performing a vault at a compeтιтion has reached nearly 67 million views and drawn thousands of comments from viewers inspired by her determination.

“We need an encore!! 🙌🫶🏼🩷,” one user wrote.

“Awesome! Great job parents, coaches, doctors, nurses, friends & family. She’s going to go far with determination, love & the fight to have nothing hold her back,” another added.

Among the responses, one message in particular stood out to Riley.

“One message that stuck with me was from a mom who said, ‘My 8-year-old daughter saw your video and said she wants to get back into gymnastics after being an amputee for a year,’ ” Riley says. “That was the exact moment I knew we made the right decision.”

For Presley, though, the attention hasn’t changed her focus.

She’s still chasing the next skill, the next challenge, the next small win — driven less by recognition and more by the simple joy of figuring things out.

“She’s more excited about learning a new skill than about views or likes,” Riley says.