Champions Gymnastics Take Home Over 30 Event Medals and Titles at Gasparilla Classic in Florida

Champions Gymnastics had 18 athletes representing Canada at the Gasparilla Classic International Gymnastics in St. Petersburg, Florida from Feb. 24 to 26.

All photos courtesy of Tracy Taylor.

The Gasparilla Classic is one of the largest gymnastics meets in the world, with over 6,000 athletes from 21 states and 7 countries competing at the home of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Led by Head Coach Etienne Rene and Tracy Taylor, Champions took home first place Team trophies in Level 4 and Level 6. Individually, Champions athletes won five All Around Titles and 12 All Around Silver.

Along with winning over 33 individual event medals, Taylor says that the Champions athletes made many friends among the countries represented. For athletes used to small Ontario meets this was a huge event for the young team.

“All in all a great experience for coaches, athletes and families,” said Taylor. “Everyone is already looking forward to next years event planned for Cancun, Mexico in January.”

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Champion Gymnastic Athletes Rallying Around Coach Donating To Ukrainian Relief Efforts

Champion Gymnastic athletes are rallying around their coach Mariya, who is from Ukraine, and donning blue and yellow leotards.

Athletes with Coach Mariya. Photo courtesy of Champion Gymnastics.

Funds from the leotards, purchased from Jagwear Canada, a gymnastic clothing supplier in Mississauga, will support relief efforts in Ukraine.

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Local Gymnastics Facility Lets Kids Shine Through Pandemic

Champions Gymnastics had reopened for competitive training and recreational classes after the lockdown ended in mid-February.

Due to Peterborough’s red zone declaration for Monday, Champions Gymnastics will pause all pre-school and recreational classes. Those courses will open once Peterborough has entered safer zones.

During the reopening, Marcel Rene, Champions Gymnastics President says he has done more than what is required to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

“This is one of the newest buildings in Peterborough but it’s probably also one of the safest,” he said. “We have a close relationship with the health department in Peterborough. We do more than the actual protocols here.”

Former Olympian Jessica Turos has made a public guest appearance at the gym for a book promotion in May 2019. Photo courtesy of Champions Gymnastics

All visitors are required to fill a COVID-19 self-assessment form prior to entering the building. Participants have their temperature taken prior to entering the gym.

Multiple hand sanitizer stations are set up through the facility. Some events such as the balance beam or floor exercise require gymnasts to sanitize or wash their hands before moving on to the next activity.

Only one other building in Canada has a facility specifically built for Gymnastics according to Marcel Rene, Champions Gymnastics President. Rene have coached the sport for over 50 years. Photo courtesy of Champions Gymnastics

The gym invested in a high-quality air exchange system to supplement their heating and air conditioning which Rene says the air is if they were outdoors without being outside.

“It’s extremely safe,” he said. “We only wanted to do this once so we wanted to do it the right way.”

The facility also had a cheerleading program which has been in place for the past two years. Photo courtesy of Champions Gymnastics

Rene wanted his facility open as much as the city would allow him to give the children an outlet to express themselves through gymnastics.

“I think sports or any social contact for any child is important,” he said. “They’re (kids) not going to understand the ins and outs of a pandemic and to social distance. It’s also our job to teach them.”

Champions Gymnastics allowed PTBOCanada including editor David Tuan Bui to do a demo of their facilities including the safety protocols.

Bui says that performing gymnastics is not as easy as it looks.

“I have a background in pro wrestling and have done feats similar to what these kids are doing,” he said. “I thought I was going to do well but I struggled more than I thought. These kids are incredibly impressive with how athletic they are.”

Champions Gymnastics is located at 2410 Lansdowne Street W. across from Heron Landing Golf Club. Photo courtesy Champions Gymnastics

Champions Gymnastics has been running for 33 years. Their last facility in their first 30 years only had 6,000 square feet. Their current building has 18,000 square feet and was specifically designed for gymnastics according to Rene.

“Coming in here and working with all these smiling faces, it puts you in a good mood in a hurry,” said Rene.

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