Twenty-five years and counting…

Southdale

Fort Garry

Gymkyds Gymnastics Centre is celebrating a landmark anniversary.

The Southdale-based centre, which is located at 421 Beaverhill Blvd., is marking 25 years in business this year.

According to Gymkyds’ website, the centre offers a non-competitive, recreational setting focusing on the individual personal best of each child, fostering the fundamentals of gymnastics and building self-confidence, and developing a love of gymnastics and physical activity.

Gymkyds first opened its doors in 2000 in Fort Garry, before moving to its first Southdale location in 2003, and its current location in 2018. It caters to children aged one and up, and in the fall will welcome more than 1,000 kids each week at its main location, as well as satellite locations, such as St. James and West St. Paul.

It also offers before and after-school programs for local schools, as well as operating two vans that deliver mobile gymnastics programs throughout the city, visiting various day camps and private homes to bring gymnastics directly to the community.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s been 25 years,” said Gymkyds’ owner and head coach Peggy Glassco, who lives in Fort Garry. “It’s been such a blessing. I’ve put in the hard work, but in some ways it doesn’t feel like work because I love what I do.”

Glassco also enjoys giving back to the community, and now organizes fundraisers such as an annual picnic, which raised $15,000 this year for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, and a Boo for the Cure event will be held on Oct. 25, when there will be a family friendly haunted house in her gym.

“These are ways for me to get my staff involved, as well as really fun ways to raise money for good causes,” Glassco said, noting many of her former students return as coaches.

“Now we’ve been here for 25 years, and been established for so long, it’s easier to give back to the community, which has supported us so much.”

After a quarter of a century running Gymkyds, Glassco continues to be driven to evolve her business and try new things.

“There’s always something still left to do, whether it’s trying a new program, expanding something, or adding something,” she said.

“Gymnastics promotes all fundamental movement patterns … and there are so many things that our students gain that they can take into different sports.”

“We’re helping foster a lifelong love of gymnastics,” Glassco added.

To help say thank-you for this support, Gymkyds recently hosted a free come-and-go event when visitors had the chance to enjoy bouncy castles, as well as snacks including hotdogs, chips, popcorn, and cotton candy. Go online at gymkyds.ca for more information.