Victory Gymnastic Academy to Host Open House Fundraiser, 1/19

Victory Gymnastics Academy (www.vgasd.com) is hosting "The Open Gym for Kylie" fundraiser on Sunday, Jan. 19 for 19-month-old cancer patient, Kylie Rowand of Alpine, Calif.

VGA owner Shawna Meyer was moved to take action after learning of Kylie's sickness from a friend. A Facebook page named "Prayers for Kylie, God's little Warrior" (https://www.facebook.com/prayersforkylie1) details the story of the toddler, who recently went to the doctor for a swollen eye but was unfortunately diagnosed with Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma. Kylie's parents ask for monetary donations to help with Kylie's massive medical expenses.

"When I learned of this little girl's sudden sickness, I felt compelled to do something. Since Victory Gymnastic Academy works with many children, I felt there is no better way to give back then having kids helping kids," says Meyer.

"The Open Gym for Kylie" will be at the Academy (4863 Shawline St. San Diego, CA 92111) from 12-2 p.m. The coaching staff will be volunteering their time in support. Admission is $10 per child and any additional donations are encouraged. All funds collected will be donated to "Prayers for Kylie."

VGA owner Shawna Meyer has brought a perfect mix of fun, fitness, focus, discipline and healthy competitive spirit to the kids of thousands of other moms over the past seven years.

A veteran realtor specializing in building and selling residential properties, Meyer became increasingly frustrated with the non-profit gym where her then grade school aged daughters Madison and Cameron-both talented competitive gymnasts-did their training. In her search for another local facility, she realized that there were no other big gyms in San Diego offering the kind of gymnastics programs she was looking for. Meyer and her husband found a building, refurbished it and opened Victory in its original 12,000 square-foot location in 2006.

In January 2011, the facility moved to its current 18,000 square-foot space in the Kearny Mesa area-which makes it the largest gym of its kind in the San Diego area. Exciting safety meets playful amenities include a six-foot deep foam pit filled with thousands of red, white and blue cubes-the perfect safe landing spot after dismounting off the uneven bars, tumbling off the floor or vaulting. There is also a 40-foot long in-ground Tumble Trak, which functions like a long trampoline and allows for easy, safe flipping. The vault area features an 80-foot runway and the downstairs area has a 40×40 foot Olympic type competition floor, made from fiberglass with springs covered by carpet bonded foam.

The competitive program at Victory Gymnastics Academy, which includes many young girls doing level 9 and 10 gymnastics, is run by Head Team Coaches Charlie Tamayo and his wife Nicole. Charlie is a three-time Pan Am Team Champion who made Cuban history twice for winning world medals. Victory's Gym Director is Cy Platt, who with his brothers Boone and Cheetah toured with The Platt Brothers, also the name of their full-length theatrical production featuring acrobatics, dance, comedy and music. The Platt Brothers also made several appearances on "America's Got Talent."