Local gym owner working through challenges to keep gymnasts going

MOSES LAKE — Kortni Nelson, owner of AIM Gymnastics Center in Moses Lake, said this summer might be her most challenging since buying the gym in 2004.

Challenges posed by the coronavirus paired with construction work on the building created unique circumstances as Nelson works to keep things running smoothly for her gymnasts.

AIM Gymnastics Center reopened its doors when Grant County reached Phase 2 of the state’s reopening process, thanks in large part to a group effort from gym owners across Washington, Nelson said.

“The whole gymnastics organization came together, all the owners from across the state,” she said. “Through the shutdown, we were on phone calls every Monday night, Zoom calls, and got in touch with a senator who happened to be on the task force of creating the phases.”

Nelson said she and fellow gym owners explained in their argument how costly the time away from training, even for just a short time, would be in their training process.

For many gymnasts, it’s the longest break they’ve had from training since they started, Nelson said. Kids vying for college scholarships aren’t really able to train remotely without the equipment available in the gym, she added.

With their Zoom classes while unable to have people in the gym, Nelson said they went about as far as they could with in-home training.

“We stretched couch gymnastics as far as we could go, with our couch and our pillows,” she said. “Some moms were surprised; they were like, ‘yeah, I can’t believe how much they learned in that time.’ Coming back, even some of the coaches said ‘wow, they still kept going with that knowledge.’”

AIM Gymnastics was set to host a big meet in Moses Lake before the coronavirus forced the competition to be canceled. Missing the last few meets of the year proved costly for gymnasts.

“In the sport of gymnastics, they have to get qualifying scores to move on to new levels,” Nelson said. “So it has definitely put those kids a step back who were supposed to move up but can’t because they didn’t get a chance to get their needed scores.”

With gymnasts back in the building since reaching Phase 2, Nelson said things look rather interesting with social distancing measures in place.

“We try to keep them six feet apart as they enter the class. We have little dots that they stand on,” Nelson said.

Nelson said that can be tougher at times with some of the younger gymnasts. AIM Gymnastics have classes and lessons for gymnasts from the age of 18 months all the way up to adults.

Classes are limited to five kids per instructor currently, with three instructors typically in the gym at one time, Nelson said. With construction underway on the main gym, she said they’re limited in available space at the moment already.

“The construction hit us at the same time as the virus, so our capacity is so much smaller, we’re talking by 10,000 square feet smaller, as to what we can hold in this building,” Nelson said. “So it probably won’t look that much different for us for Phase 3. But we’re hoping by September to be up and running.”

The Moses Lake gym sustained damage to its roof from an ice storm a few years ago, leading to the roof being replaced, 3,000 square feet being added, and a redesign. Nelson said they hope to reopen around Labor Day.

“It will be like a dream gym if we get it open,” she said.

Nelson said she’s been a gymnast since she was 4 years old, competing all the way through high school before heading to college on a dance scholarship. She managed to teach recreational gymnastics classes while in college.

Nelson works as a kindergarten teacher by day. After someone overheard she had experience in gymnastics one night and asked if she’d help at the local gym, she said, she’s been there ever since.

“Helping out a little bit with my passion turned into a pretty awesome opportunity for my family,” Nelson said. “I have three daughters who went through gymnastics and they all coach here now with me.”

While being where she is today was never the plan, Nelson said gymnastics has always been a love of hers.

“Not many people can say they have their dream job, but it kind of leans that way,” she said.