Three years later, I tried out for cheerleading in Junior High and made the team. I tumbled at the games and continued cheering through High School. One night I walked into a new local gymnastics club, Tricks Gym, to take a teen tumble class and froze. I heard a familiar voice. I searched the gym looking for the person speaking and low and behold, there stood Coach Herb! I wondered if he'd recognize me! It had been 5 or 6 years! I signed in for the class and when Herb caught my eye, he grinned. He walked over to me and said "well if it isn't Kelly, one of my Shooting Stars!" He gave me a big hug and we started the tumble class. After class he kept talking to me and suggested I apply for a job. I had just turned 16 so I did just that! I applied and was interviewed by the owner, the amazing Barbara Jo. She hired me and I began what I didn't know would become my dream job and life dream!
I coached for Tricks for just one short year and then followed Herb to a gym he was opening. It was a hard choice, Tricks and the owners were amazing, but I had such a fondness for Herb and loved new adventures. I coached for him my senior year and then off to college.
I coached all through college and graduated with a BS in Liberal Studies and minor in Creative Writing. I moved to Los Angeles, coached for a few months, then taught 6th grade in South Central and met my future husband. We moved to New York City, because, well, why not? And before I got a teaching job there, I coached in lower Manhattan. Neil and I moved back to California and got married in 2004. We finally settled in Nipomo, California. I also started a gymnastics photography business and traveled all over California to take photos of gymnasts at their competitions. Did I mention I took photography in college, too? In 2005, we had our first daughter. I lucked out and got to be a stay at home mom for most of the time and photographed meets on the weekends. After we found out we were expecting another daughter, I decided to go back to teaching. I taught 3rd grade in Santa Maria the year I had my youngest daughter. By the Spring, I was missing the gym, so I also started coaching again. I became friend with a lot of the parents, one in particular, you know her as Awesome Alyssa! I coached her kids and we became friends. I told her that I wanted a gym of my own and she said she'd love to help me if I ever did that. I reached out to an old high school friend who was a gymnast and always super smart. Little did I know she became a Start Up Business Attorney! We met a few times and she helped me with all the confusing legal stuff! I found a realtor and then...Pacific Flips was born!
Eight years ago, we found a building on Huston Street in Grover Beach! We got our business license on 11/11/11. We held unofficial classes the week of the 21 and officially opened doors on November 28!
My husband, Neil, was a high school teacher in Santa Maria and coached basketball, golf and football. He helped set up the gym and would pick the girls up after work on days I had to work late. The gym began to grow and by 10 weeks we had 100 students! I hired a few more people who have become life long friends, Randalin, & Amber. Two ex-gymnasts that I knew who were 13 years old started popping in weekly, so we decided to train them to coach and they became Coach Molly and Coach Zoei.
Life was going great! My dream gym was a reality. We had a small competitive team and over 100 kids by the summer. Then life for me, stopped.
Tragically in our 8th month of business, my husband collapsed in the night. It woke me up when he called out for me. Two days later, I had to make the decision to take him off life support. He had had an arrhythmia and his heart beat so fast it stopped. They tried to restart it, but it just wouldn't work on it's own. This turned my world upside down. My girls were only 4 and 6 and my gym was brand new. I coached every day and all levels. I am beyond blessed that Alyssa, Amber, Randalin, Zoei and Molly did not let the gym die. They worked and worked and worked some more. I later found out that they would take turns crying in the bathroom and then come back out to coach and run the gym. If you spot the daisy painted on the gym walls, that's in memory of Neil. He had 3 daisy tattoos to represent his girls, so we have him on the walls watching over us.
I would pop in here and there and bring the girls for gym or just some gym therapy. It was my happy place, but it was also very hard to do the one thing that I loved so much. Eventually, we hired more and more coaches, Coach Daphna, who was one of Neil's students and golfers. She spoke at his funeral and I instantly knew she'd be a part of my life forever. She is now on her 7th year and the Grover Beach manager.
Luckily, three years ago I met a man who was not afraid of my story. A busy widowed business owner mom of two. Sean has been a rock and helped me and the girls heal from our loss. He also has helped with the challenges that come with owning a business (and parenting teens.) I am so incredibly lucky to have found him.
Two years ago our Huston facility was sold and was being turned into a cannabis dispensary. Exactly what we needed! Ugh! We had over 500 gymnasts and had to start looking for a new gym fast! Sadly, due to the cannabis companies moving into the warehouses, everything was over $2/sq foot so we had to settle for a smaller facility on Grand Ave. It would definitely do the job, the location was great and the ceilings were high, but it was small and we were growing! So we thought long and hard and decided to chance it and open a 2nd, bigger facility, in Santa Maria. So, last year we opened the doors to Pacific Flips South.
Now we have the little one in Grover but still able to coach almost all levels. Competitive Team has to move to Santa Maria after they compete a couple levels, but the beginner team can still train in Grover. We also have an in house team and pre-teams at both gyms. The preschool and recreational programs are doing well and this weekend we have our very first North vs. South Competition in Santa Maria!
I want to thank each and every one of you who has had their children in one of our classes! I am so appreciative and can't thank you enough for still being my happy place. Now I get to choose which happy place to go to! Thank you also to my staff who are always there for me when life throws curve balls and requires me to be home with my girls.
Happy 8th Birthday Pacific Flips!
