Clinton Township Newsletter

1 6 s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 5 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M Welcome to with Rachel Sprague * C linton ree Questions * This month, C3Q caught up with Zoey and Mia, the owners of Gymnastics Unlimited, located at 2 Lilac Drive in Flemington, where there have been incredible things going on. C 3 Q : H o w l o n g h a s G y m n a s t i c s Unlimited been in business in our area, and what sort of programs does it have? Z: We have been around for 51 years... it was our 50th Anniversary last year! G y m n a s t i c s U n l i m i t e d s t a r t e d i n Whitehouse Station, but has been on Lilac Drive since the '80s. We're currently under new ownership for four years now, with the same great, supportive staff. We run programs from Starting to Crawl up to 18 years of age; recreational programs for boys and girls, a teen program, trampoline and tumbling programs, gymnastics classes, cheer classes, our own brand of ninja classes, and two competitive teams. We usually have about twenty- to-thirty instructors, who range from our junior staff, who are high school age and help to coach, spot, and work with young children; to a range of experienced staff members, some of whom started in the gym as athletes themselves. Everyone in the gym works with both rec and team classes. C3Q: I've heard that GU has had some wonderful successes lately! Z: Yes! Firstly, in June, we had our All-School Meet, which is a recreational showcase for all of our rec athletes. Our theme this year was In Our GU Era. We had about 150 athletes participate, and it was a fun celebration that we have at the gym. This summer, our competition season wrapped up, and our artistic gymnastics team had multiple athletes who went on to compete at Regional Championships, and some won medals. We had a few Regional Champions and a number of athletes competing at National Championships, and one who medalled at Nationals and became a National Champion. We also had athletes do well at the State Championships from last February through April, where we had a number of state champions, and six girls travelled to Minnesota for the Stars and Stripes National Competition. C 3 Q : W h a t a n e x c i t i n g y e a r , and awesome accomplishments! What are some of the benefits of gymnastics; why do you love it so much? Z: As an owner and coach, I grew up in Australia, where I started my love for gymnastics before moving here with my wife, who grew up in Readington, 15 years ago. We love being a part of this community; we love that it's so community-minded, and that we contribute to that community. Hunterdon County is a great place to be, and provides great childhood experiences, and we feel lucky to be here. What we really pride ourselves on is what we look to do at our gym: we create a happy and healthy place for kids to grow up. Not only a happy and healthy approach to the sport of gymnastics itself, and being a healthy individual, but building relationships with kids and helping kids make strong lifelong friendships with each other. We also help kids understand how their bodies move, and develop strength, coordination, flexibility, and the crucial understanding that if you work at something, you're going to get better at it. On the competition level, we're proud that we have created a program where athletes can learn in a comfortable way, where they can feel that they can be successful if they put the work into something, and, importantly, that gymnastics can be a part of their life, but not *all* of their life. We strive for a healthy interaction with the sport; building good memories and providing a balance of gymnastics with other priorities in their lives. Gymnastics is a good sport for kids to be in continually, at any age. It promotes good relationships with peers, creates a strong body, and allows you to be proud of who you are and what you accomplish. There's no greater feeling as a coach than to see a kid learn something new, and you see the excitement and pride on their face; the power of hard work and consistency and positive mindset pays off, and we foster that in our classes. Gymnastics Unlimited runs a school-year program September through June, and anyone is welcome! You can find more information at https://gu-nj.com/ n Local residents Rachel Sprague and her husband Russell are raising their two young children in Annandale. She thinks that Clinton Township is a delightful place to live.

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