What began as a small effort to give local girls a chance to compete in sports has grown into a four-decade legacy of success for Mountain Gymnastics Center.
When owner Shelley Thomas, a member of the University of Georgia’s first gymnastics team, opened the gym at its initial location 40 years ago in the Rogers Building in Downtown Blairsville, her goal was simple: provide opportunities that didn’t exist.
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At the time, the nearest gym was in Gainesville, and with basketball and slow-pitch softball the only organized athletic options for girls, Thomas saw a need. The response was immediate, with 40 kids, including a few boys, enrolling in the first class.
“She opened it particularly for the girls, but she also had boys’ gymnastics,” daughter and current Gym Manager Caroline Thomas said. “At that time, she had no idea the gym would become what it is today. Back then, she was just taking it day by day. She started small and worked her way up. She didn’t have any equipment, just an open floor.”
Within five years, Mountain Gymnastics produced its first state champion when Robin Cook captured the floor exercise title. Three years later, Sarah Gowder won on the balance beam, followed by Ericka Maier on the beam in 1995 and Nikki Gurley on bars in 1996.
In all, Mountain Gymnastics has produced more than 140 state champions, along with three Southeast Regional champions at the USA Championships.
Caroline was just 3 years old when her mother opened the gym at its original location. Though the Rogers Building wasn’t designed for gymnastics, she remembers those early days vividly. Now, she has spent the last nine years working at the center.
“Some of my first memories are from the gym – I grew up all around it,” she said. “I moved back home in 2017 and started part-time but really began doing a lot more about five years ago when mom took on a smaller role. She’s still the owner and still around – she just doesn’t handle the day-to-day operations anymore.”
In early 2005, Mountain Gymnastics moved into its current facility at 611 Airport Industrial Drive, a transition that elevated both its competitive teams and class programs.
“The sport of gymnastics has really developed a lot over the years with understanding the science and physics that go into it,” Caroline said. “What we’re able to accomplish now is much more advanced than what it was in the 1980s.
“When I was a kid, an 8 was very rare, and now we have kids scoring a 9.8 out of 10, which was unheard of in the ’80s and ’90s. That’s due to all the developments and changes in the sport.”
As she helps lead the gym forward, Caroline says the most valuable lessons she has learned from her mother are rooted in consistency and mindset.
“She always looks for the positive in any situation,” Caroline said. “She is really patient and always very calm in the gym. At the same time, she has very high expectations, and those expectations help the kids reach their full potential.
“We have a lot of former athletes who have brought their kids back to be coached here; some have even brought their children and grandchildren, and we are really honored by that.”
Looking ahead, the Thomases are focused on steady growth while continuing to expand opportunities for athletes.
“Right now, we’re doing well, so we’re going to just keep on keeping on,” Caroline said. “But we’re always looking for ways to improve and provide opportunities.
“We’re learning more about boys’ gymnastics and how to better serve them. We currently offer a strength and agility class for boys and girls to build overall fitness, body awareness and coordination.”
She added that gymnastics remains an ideal starting point for young athletes: “Overall, gymnastics is a great first sport for kids. We start them as young as 2 years old. We work on motor skill development, coordination and balance – and everything we do helps kids later in sports and in life.”
The gym is considering the possibility of teaching acro-tumbling, a rapidly growing sport at the collegiate level that is beginning to expand into youth programs.
“We’ve had two athletes go on to compete in acro-tumbling in college, so that’s another avenue we’re exploring,” she said.
Four decades after opening its doors with little more than an empty floor and a vision, Mountain Gymnastics Center continues to build upon its foundations: developing athletes, shaping families and creating opportunities for the next generation.
For more information, visit http://www.mtngym.com/.
