The Xtreme Gymnastics program reached a significant milestone last week after providing 25 years of service to the young gymnasts in the Poplar Bluff area.
Owner Jessie Walker-Luce started Xtreme Gymnastics when she was 18 and had no idea the program would make such an impact on the community as it did.
“The feeling of reaching 25 years is just unbelievable and exciting,” Walker-Luce said. “Often, I really can’t believe it's been 25 years, and I have a hard time looking at how life would be without it. It's been such a positive thing for me and a positive thing for so many families in the area. We've been able to have such an impact on so many lives, and we've just had many children through our doors, so it’s a little surreal.”
Starting a program is tough, but having the longevity to last for 25 years is not something to take lightly. As an avid lover of the sport, Walker-Luce decided after high school that she wanted to embark on the journey of finding others who may love the sport. She said gymnastics is not an easy sport, but using her experiences from when she competed would help younger athletes.
Walker-Luce's main goal was to provide a space where kids could gain all the tools and skills needed to compete.
“I just love the sport,” She said. “Gymnastics showed me as a young athlete that it is really hard to do, but I remind myself of everything that I have accomplished with it. It helped me build my own personal competence, and I was really passionate about sharing that with other people. A lot of kids may not get the encouragement that they need or the access to the tools they need to build their confidence, and that's been a really big part of our program.”
Walker-Luce said that the character development of their kids and setting them up for success was the focus from the beginning. Whether it's in gymnastics or moving on to other sports in school or college, she hopes that Xtreme Gymnastics had a positive impact on their lives and will forever have somebody who will always be in their corner.
While Walker-Luce plays a major role in her Gymnastics program, she is also a Missouri USA Gymnastics Committee member and serves as district chair and secretary for Ozark AAU Gymnastics.
Over the years, Walker-Luce has watched many members of her program go off and do amazing things. She said the program has come full circle because there are so many families and former kids that she used to coach, and now she is coaching their children, who she considers the second generation.
“Just looking back on those relationships and knowing that they had such a great experience with so many fun stories, and now they want their child to have that same experience,” Walker-Luce said. My former students have done great things. They are business owners and accountants, and some of them are even in the medical field. I feel that their experience in extreme gymnastics provided that drive in some small way. It helped them understand time management, discipline, pushing through hard obstacles and persevering to get to the other side.”
Walker-Luce has yet to find the answer for lasting for 25 years, but she thanks the community for embracing the program. She said ownership can be extremely stressful, but not for her. Having something that she’s passionate about helped her navigate through early struggles, and she’s grateful that Xtreme Gymnastics is still around. She said knowing that the program has positive effects on young athletes makes all the little stress worth it.
As Walker-Luce looks ahead to the future of Xtreme Gymnastics, she hopes to bring in more athletes with new programs and would love continued support from the community.
“We just added a ninja warrior-type program in January, and it was an expansion of a previous ninja program that we had,” she said. “We're always growing, developing and figuring out ways that we can accommodate more kiddos and meet their needs. I don't know what the future holds, but I know it’s bright. We're excited to keep doing what we’re doing and serve as many kids as possible to get them where they want to go.”