Grab the tissues.
On Wednesday, Ellen DeGeneres gave UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis the most heartwarming surprise during her visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. As the duo chatted about her newfound popularity on social media, Nia, who went viral last month for her Beyoncé-inspired floor routine, told the daytime host that her dreams of competing in the Olympics were put on hold following an unexpected injury.
"Well, I was trying out for 2016 Olympics and I actually tore my Achilles, like, three months before the Olympics," she explained. "And it was really devastating because I feel like everything I sacrificed, my family sacrificed, was just…went down the drain and I really wanted to quit gymnastics."
Nia continued, "But, I had to really dig deep and, like, find it within myself to know that, like, just because one dream is gone, doesn't mean I'm gonna stop myself from achieving the rest of my dreams."
Throughout her recovery and her successful collegiate athletic career, the 21-year-old credited the support she received from her younger sister Maya, 10, with inspiring her to pursue her passion.
"She loves me, adores me, looks up to me," Nia gushed. "And honestly, on my days when I feel like I can't do it anymore or I just want to quit even more, she just keeps me going."
And in true Ellen Show fashion, little Maya was waiting in the wings to surprise her big sister during the show. Before unveiling her surprise, Ellen said, "I wanted to give you something that would mean something to you. So, Maya come on out!"
To make the moment even sweeter, the adorable kiddo brought Nia a bouquet of flowers and ran to her at the center of the stage. Marking their first time seeing each other since the holidays, the sister duo shared a big hug and became emotional.
After their reunion, Maya joined their parents in the front row of the audience to cheer Nia on as she performed her viral routine, which features an instrumental montage of Beyoncé's hit songs "Crazy In Love," "Ego" and "7/11," as well as the Destiny's Child track "Lose My Breath."
Watch Ellen's sweet surprise unfold and see Nia perform her viral floor routine in the video above!