Who is Veronika Groshkova? ‘AGT’ contestant’s jaw-dropping aerial pole performance earns Golden Buzzer
A recent ‘America’s Got Talent’ (AGT) audition featuring Veronika Groshkova caught everyone’s attention with her extraordinary aerial pole act. The aerialist from Ukraine, in her introductory video, shared, “When I was a little girl in Ukraine, I always wanted to be onstage. My mom always [encouraged] me to chase my dreams.” That’s why she left Ukraine four years ago and moved to America. Despite leaving her family behind, Veronika continued pursuing her dream and made it to ‘AGT.’ For her performance, the stage was set before the judges: Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Mel B. Before her performance, which later earned her a Golden Buzzer, Veronika told the judges about her dream. “Actually, I have a dream. I do aerial pole, and I really want to be like…part of [the] Olympics game.”
As Veronika began her performance and climbed onto the pole, the judges were stunned. Sofia Vergara and Mel B noted there was no safety and that she could fall. After getting down for just a second, she went up in the air, and at one point, Veronika was holding the pole only with her leg. Everyone cheered for her performance as she continued the act. The ending shocked everyone even more as she playfully slipped down the pole but maintained her firm grip halfway. The judges and the audience gave her performance a standing ovation and a loud cheer afterward. Simon Cowell recalled what Veronika said about wanting to be in the Olympics and told her that her performance felt like a “Gold medal.” He added, “It really did. In every way…..I mean you see how hard and dangerous this is. I mean, it was…I think that was perfection," shared Simon.
While fellow ‘AGT’ judge Sofia playfully added that the judges were at a “weird angle” to look at the performance, the audience booed her. She added, “We’ve seen a lot of these kinds of acts, but I don’t know why I have this feeling, like...” To everyone’s surprise, she pressed the Golden Buzzer. She went on the stage and congratulated Veronika. While there, Sofia mentioned how dangerous the whole act was. “And she was doing it with a smile, and she was, like, making it look like it was so easy. But I know it wasn’t. I know it takes years and years of preparation to be this good,” she said.
Seeing everyone cheering for her and earning a Golden Buzzer felt like “magic” to Veronika. She told the cameras that she could not believe it. Her social media has a strong fan following and describes her as an Aerial Pole Artist. As of now, Veronika is based in Las Vegas, and her latest Golden Buzzer audition on the popular show has made her even more popular among viewers worldwide.
