BRAINTREE -- When Mary Ann Caldwell of Stoughton turned on her TV to watch Frederick Richard represent the U.S. Men's Gymnastics Team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she still saw the "cute little kid" who was once in her faith formation class.

"I'm just in awe of him," she told The Pilot in an Aug. 1 interview. "For me, he kind of looks like the same little boy he was, just in a bigger body."

Caldwell is the director of religious education at Immaculate Conception Parish in Stoughton, the home parish of 20-year-old Richard and his family. She knew the Olympian from when he was a kindergartener until he was in middle school, and his rigorous training schedule took him out of Stoughton.

"He was a sweetheart," Caldwell said. "It's a very nice family. Very polite and respectful. Very nice parents, wonderful people."

In his time at the Olympics, Richard helped Team USA bring home the bronze medal, the first time the team has medaled in the Olympics since 2008, and he has already said he has his sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

However, even before the Olympics, Richard was a sensation on social media, where he is known as FrederickFlips, and that following has only grown. He currently has more than 640,000 followers on TikTok and over 660,000 followers on Instagram.

Richard, who is majoring in film, television, and media at the University of Michigan, has said in interviews that he wants to use his visibility to grow the sport of men's gymnastics in the U.S.

"It's awesome," Caldwell said. "You see someone you know that's really made it in life and really stuck to their conviction and dedication. The whole town is proud of him."

Father Carlos Suarez, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish and St. James Parish in Stoughton, told The Pilot on Aug. 1 that yard signs supporting Richard have popped up all over town. Father Suarez estimated that at a recent watch party for Richard held at a local school, a third of the attendees were his parishioners.

"Throughout the town, there's been a lot of interest," he said. "When they made the connection with the fact that he and his family are parishioners, that made them all the more excited."

Caldwell remembered Richard attending faith formation classes with his brother and sister. She said that he was at the parish "as much as he possibly could" be, and that faith "was a very important part of his family life."

"He came into class and took what he could take in and brought it home," she said.

She tuned in faithfully to watch him compete, and from what she has seen, she said, success hasn't gone to his head.

"He's a kind and mature young man," she said. "I don't think this has changed his way of treating others, the publicity and being famous now, so to speak. I think he's very grounded."

"I think it's very exciting," Father Suarez said. "His athletic skills, determination, and discipline that he's shown. His parents are very hardworking, dedicated people and very supportive of his endeavors. Obviously, it's a great achievement, but it's a great light for our town as well."