Spartans Gymnastics springs into Macdonald

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This article was published 21/12/2018 (2682 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spartans Gymnastics, at (2595C McGillivray Blvd.), is the latest business to move into the RM of Macdonald from a former Winnipeg location.

“We were looking in all parts of the city,” said owner Jen Sabourin, who started the gymnastics club earlier this year in a temporary location in River Heights.

She needed a large open space with a high ceiling to accommodate the gymnastics equipment and students’ exercises and routines. After scouting out spots within the city limits, she found out about a vacant location along McGillivray — part of a complex housing a pool repair company and other businesses.

“We found this building, but we had to do all the renovations,” Sabourin said, adding that the interior had to be completely gutted down to the walls. Luckily her husband Stephen‘s company, Sabourin Interiors was able to do most of the renovation work.

Sabourin was prompted to launch Spartans Gymnastics from the viewpoint of a parent whose three children are involved in the sport. Her daughter Kiara, 10, and Aryanna, 5, and son Judah, 8, were taking lessons at a Winnipeg club that suddenly closed about a year and a half ago, leaving the family and others looking for a new gymnastics club.

“It left all these gymnasts and coaches with no place to go,” Sabourin said.

They ended up driving to Steinbach for a few months but the need to train for long periods of time, coupled with the time needed to drive back and forth, made the situation less than ideal.

Sabourin decided to take the opportunity to open up a new business. She said she is passionate about business and has a strong entrepreneurial family background as her father, brother and sister-in-law run their own businesses.

She was able to employ five of the coaches from the club that closed and started with about 20 students.

“I had a very solid group of very knowledgeable coaches.”

The Spartans club now has seven coaches with about 23 students from age five to 20 in the competitive program and more in the recreational program that offers classes for babies and moms, children and adults.

“There’s a program for everyone,” Sabourin said, adding that gymnastics can be tailored to any skill level.

She said she hopes the new signage along McGillivray advertising the location will help to draw in new students from southwestern Winnipeg and outside the city.

“It’s so close to the city and to so many other areas.”

For more information on Spartans Gymnastics, see https://spartansgymnastics.com