Meet Our Staff

Mimi became involved in the sport of gymnastics at the age of 5 years old in 1972 as a gymnast, then started competitive gymnastics at the age of 8 until the age of 22. She competed up to the Class 1 Level, then through college (earning 10 All-American Awards). Mimi started her coaching career at Clovis Academy while she trained there around the age of 16 in the summer time. She coached mostly in the boys program until she moved to go to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in 1986. While coaching at various local clubs, she began her dream of opening an amazing gymnastic training facility that would connect Southern and Northern California gymnastic communities. In 1991, Mimi opened a very small gymnastics program (1,000 sq. feet) with about 10 students in the beginning and built it to what has now grown upwards of 800+ students in the building her and her husband Andy bought in 2004. Along with the most amazing staff, they have created a fantastic gymnastics sports training center of 16,000 sq. feet fitness & fun in San Luis Obispo, California. It has been a wonderful journey, one I wouldn’t change one second of. Mimi is currently directing the Preschool Program with Assistant Preschool Director Casey Hoover. We are both enjoying our passion and expressing our creativity working with the Preschool Program!

Mimi and her wonderful husband Andy, have been happily married since June 22, 1996, and they have a beautiful daughter, Maddie who was born in April 2006! Come on down to CCG, we would love to meet you. My favorite colors are blue & green. I love to eat fresh fish, grow my own veggies, and share them with everyone. I absolutely love to garden, fish, and scuba dive. Collect treasures from the beach and be in the gym every second I can. I love our beautiful area, the air and warm sun. I am definitely very fortunate to live and breath on the Central Coast…………with my wonderful family at home and at CCG!

Hello, I’m Shannon Merritt and I am the Payroll Specialist here at Central Coast Gymnastics Sports Center. My love for gymnastics started when I saw Nadia Comaneci win the All Around Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympics. I was 10 years old then and began taking gymnastics classes. I competed for my Jr. High and High School in Clovis, CA. At age 16 I began coaching at Clovis and I began judging at age 18. I attended Cal Poly and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with a concentration in teaching. I worked as the head coach of Atascadero Gymnastics for six years while I attended college. I had my first two children here in SLO and then my husband joined the Air Force after college. We moved to New Mexico where I worked as a head coach for a local gym. I obtained my Masters Degree in Public Administration and I became a level 10 judge. Our family was transferred to the island of Guam where I opened my own recreational gymnastics program, continued to judge gymnastics, and got a great tan! Our next adventure was a 3-year stay in England. I worked as a coach and a choreographer for an optional team there and passed my International Gymnastics Judging Exam. I had the wonderful opportunity to judge at the international level. Our military adventure ended in 2003 and we came back to the beautiful SLO. I started working at CCG in July of 2003 as the gym manager and girl’s optional coach. After more than 20 years of coaching and seeing many different gymnastics programs, I am thrilled to be working in the positive and fun environment at CCG. My hope for each of our gymnasts is that they will gain self confidence and responsibility, learn to work hard and enjoy physical activity, and take pride in themselves for their effort and achievement in the challenging sport of gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, cheer, dance, and all the other programs CCG offers. I really enjoy the payroll aspect and taking care of the many wonderful employee’s at CCG!

Hi! I’m Sophie and I’m the Office Manager & HR Director here at CCG! I started here in February of 2014 and absolutely love it! I enjoy working with the fun, upbeat, and outgoing crew here at CCG and couldn’t ask for a better team! I was originally born in Oregon, then my family moved to Austin, Texas, but came back and I was mainly raised here in California up in Modesto. I moved to SLO to attend Cal Poly, eventually graduating in 2005 with my Bachelor of Science in Food & Nutrition, with a concentration in Nutrition Science. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, BBQing & cooking, trying and learning about new foods, and teaching my cat tricks! Some fun facts about me are that I speak Laotian fluently, I was the first in my immediate family to be born in the U.S., and I have trained my cat to walk on a leash, sit, kiss, shake, stay, and use the human toilet.

I am Coach Aly, the director of CCE. I have been coaching at CCG since 2006 and have been coaching Cheer and gymnastics since 2003. I graduated from Cal Poly with my teaching credential in 2009.

Currently, I do not directly use my teaching credential but feel as though I use it every day teaching our athletes in this awesome environment. I love working with children and sharing my passion for cheer with them. This sport has given me so much over the years and I am so grateful that I am still involved in it. Every day I learn and grow from this amazing sport and all our athletes. My goal is to help every athlete in our program be a better athlete, cheerleader, and person once they step out our door.

Hi, I’m Coach Rion!

I moved to SLO from Lancaster, CA after graduating High School.

I have been coaching here at CCG since 2012.

Since starting here at CCG, I have coached many classes and events but now can be found coaching the Acro team or working in the office. I became the Head Coach and Director of our Acrobatics Team in 2015 and used to compete here at CCG as an Elite Mixed Pair Acrobat!

Random Facts:

• I’ve had my turtle, Tina, for 17 years!
• I have two screws in my left leg from an ACL surgery
• Sign Language is my first language!
• I have run 7 Half marathons and 1 full marathon

My name is Renato, I am 26 years old, born and raised in Lima, Peru. I started doing gymnastics when I was 6, and fell in love with the sport right away. Lots of years of hard training gave me the opportunity to represent my country in several international competitions(in between 2007 and 2014), in junior and senior categories, and allowed me to bring back to my country the first South American championship medals in a very long time at a very young age.

I knew my passion for this sport was not going to end with my athlete career, so I decided to start coaching at age 18. Even though I went to school and got a bachelor’s degree on Audio Visual Production, I knew gymnastics was going to be my main gig for good.

Later on I decided to move to the US pursuing my dream of being an elite coach. Pushing kids in a way that affects not only their competitive performance but also helping them grow as humans, the same way my coaches and the sport helped me growing up.

I could have not found a better opportunity to pursue my dream and accomplish my goals, than taking this opportunity that CCG has offered me. I am sure will try my best to lead this program, with the support of all the families and coworkers, to make this team their best version possible.

Teaching gymnastics and working with kids has been my passion since I was 15 years old. I was a competitive gymnast my whole life and competed up to Level 8 in the JO program. I graduated from Cal Poly in 2022 with a degree in Kinesiology. At CCG, I currently oversee all of the non-competitive programs. I also am a Girls Team Coach (compulsory levels 2 & 3). I am passionate about using my degree in Kinesiology in my coaching and helping these athletes be successful in the safest way possible! I feel so incredibly blessed to work at CCG and work with these amazing Central Coast families!

I was born in Sacramento, grew up in Chico, and lived in Fresno for about 12 years. I was a gymnast for 10 years, finishing my career as a level 9 at Athletic Horizons. I moved to SLO to work for CCG! I started coaching when I was 26 teaching cheerleaders to tumble. Over the years I progressed and began coaching rec, pre-team, JO, and then eventually became the Director and Head Coach of a competitive team with almost 30 girls, 5 of which were optionals.

I currently the Director and Head Coach for the girls NGA team.

I'm an avid photographer, programmer, and my biggest accomplisments include being the Regional Champion at Level 8, becoming an Eagle Scout, and climbing the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. My favorite color is green, favorite food is sushi, and favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I was born in Orange County, CA on January 17, 1983. At the age of three my mother signed me up for gymnastics lessons and I’ve been flipping ever since. I was a competitive gymnast for 10 years, eventually reaching the level of Junior Elite Class (now called Level 10). I was lucky enough to have top notch coaching, including Chinese Olympian and World Champion Li Xiaoping. Gymnastics was always a great challenge for me. I am very proud of what I have been able to achieve in this sport. I consider qualifying to the Junior National Championships the single greatest achievement of my life.

I loved competing, but even as a kid I always wanted to be a coach. I have been a boys gymnastics coach at Central Coach Gymnastics since October 2001. I have taught all levels from Class A to competitive team. As an athlete I have learned so much about what it takes to make dreams into reality. My dream is to inspire and pass on my knowledge to young people so they can grow and become happy, successful adults. My goal is to build a competitive team and recreational gymnastics program to rival any in the state. I am proud to see the great strides we have made toward this goal.

Meanwhile, I am pursuing a Computer Engineering degree at Cal Poly. Whatever the future holds for me, one thing is certain, gymnastics is in my blood and will always be a part of my life.

Hi! My name is Jeremy and I've been coaching at CCG since 2019 working mainly in TnT and Camps! I was born in Stockton and moved to SLO in 2019. I started competing in TnT when I was around 10 years old starting at Modesto Acro and then moved onto Springtime Tumble and Trampoline. After competing for about 4 seasons I decided to retire from competition. I'm currently in my second year of school getting my studio art degree. You will most likely find me in gym 2 coaching Rec TnT, I look forward to seeing you!

I have lived on the central coast my whole life. I have been training theater for five years and training dance for the past two.

I started coaching at CCG in 2019 and I currently coach boys gymnastics.

Fun Facts:

• I do photography in my spare time
• I am the youngest of five kids
• I started gymnastics at CCG when I was three

Hi my name is Vanessa!

I was a gymnast for 10 years at Byers Gymnastics in Roseville and have been coaching for a little over three. I love seeing hard work pay off and kids getting new skills! I coach preschool, girl’s rec gymnastics, and the developmental programs. Gymnastics is amazing because it teaches you lessons you can apply both in and out of the gym!

Fun Facts:

• I lived in Switzerland growing up
• I originally started gymnastics as a form of physical therapy
• I love running and being outside
• I am majoring in nutrition.

My name is Leah. I have done cheer since I was 8 years old, I competed here at CCE for 6 years, cheered for 3 years at Morro Bay High School, and was on the CSUMB cheer team this past year as well! I’m studying humanities and communications at CSUMB with hopes of becoming a writer some time soon, but for now I’m excited to be back at CCG, this time on the other side of the mat!

Fun Facts:

• I love hiking, going to the beach, and rock climbing
• I love travelling but have never been out the country
• I have two dogs
• I love tumbling and getting to learn new things.

I was a gymnast for 11 years and competed all the way through level nine. My favorite event was bars but I also excelled at beam. I had to quit due to injuries but started coaching at 15 yearsold. I was a compulsory coach for 3 yearsand ran the developmental program. Ialso liked to help out with camps and birthday parties. I just started working at CCG as mainly a preschool and recreational coach but I’m also helping out with NGA!

I’m originally from Seattle, Washington but I moved to SLO to attend Cal Poly. I'm currently a second year civil engineering major. At Cal Poly, I’m on the women’s club ultimate frisbee team and I get to travel for tournaments. Some of my other hobbies include running, hiking, rock climbing, surfing, and really anything adventurous.

Fun Facts:

• Favorite Color: Blue
• Favorite Food: Watermelon
• Favorite Animal: Puppies
• Favorite Hobby: Rock Climbing
• Favorite Sport: Gymnastics

Hi, I’m Coach Justin, I’ve been a Gymnast for 10 years. I’m currently a TNT athlete as well as a coach for TNT. I’ve been in the TNT business since I was 6 years old making me only 16 and have been coaching for over a year now.

Fun Facts:

• I’m a Junior at San Luis Obispo High School.
• I also Dive for both the High School and Cuesta Club.
• I’m big on Snowboarding and Wakeboarding.
• I’ve been to 2 other Countries

I am a level 10 boys’ gymnast. This is my 9th year competing! I started gymnastics at CCG when I was 5 and started competing when I was 7. My favorite event is floor.

Fun Facts:

• I have 4 younger siblings, and all have competed for CCG.
• I am homeschooled.
• I am completely deaf in my right ear.
• I have played piano for 10 years.

My name is Allie. I have done one form of gymnastics or another since I was 3 years old. I competed Artistic Gymnastics at Poway Gymnastics for 8 years and TnT at SoCal TTC for 3 years! I also dove for my high school's Varsity dive team for two years in San Diego! I currently am a Communication Studies major at Cal Poly SLO, and am so excited to meet all the awesome kids here at CCG who share the same passion as I have for so long!

Fun Facts:

• My favorite place EVER is the beach.
• I am currently working on my Italian Studies Minor.
• I have been coaching gymnastics for 4 years now!
• I have a chocolate lab named Cal!

Coach Heather grew up at CCG and competed on CCE for 8 years. She has been coaching cheer teams, tumbling and recreational classes since 2012. Her goal is to help athletes become well rounded individuals, teaching life skills through the sport of cheerleading.

Caitlyn came to CCG from West Coast Training Center in Livermore, California! She has experience coaching all levels of Acrobats and even competed as an Elite women’s pair/women’s trio base! Caitlyn is currently a student at Cal Poly and is the Acro Program Assistant Coach! You can find her working with our compulsory team Acro team athletes!

My name is Amy and I’m from San Jose. I was previously a level 9 gymnast training in Santa Clara. I also did two years of track and field, my favorite event being pole vault. Other than gymnastics, I love sewing, dancing, and spending time with my cat named Misty.

Fun Facts:

• I have a pet snake
• I am vegetarian
• I have never broken a bone
• My biggest fear: getting lost at sea!

My name is Lydia and I’m from Colorado! I’m a graphic communication student at Cal Poly and I am so excited to be coaching rec and preschool classes at CCG. I did gymnastics for 8 years and I am so ready to be back in the gym. Outside of CCG, I love to surf, play guitar, and roller skate.

Fun Facts:

• In Colorado, I live on a cattle ranch
• I have three dogs
• I want to own a coffee shop one day
• There isn’t a plant I don’t own

I am a Cal Poly student studying environmental engineering and biology. I am from Boulder, Colorado, and was a gymnast for 13 years at Mountain Gymnastics in Louisville, CO. I competed for JO through level 8, and began coaching in high school. I am so excited to continue teaching recreational and preschool classes at CCG! In my free time, I love to spend time outside. My favorite place to visit since moving here is Big Sur! I also love hiking in the SLO hills.

Hey lovely people! My name is Lissette, but you can call me Lizzy. I am a Psychology/Premed major at the University of Hawaii, but I am currently an “exchange student” attending Cal Poly SLO. I love good people and good music, I chase sunrises and sunsets, I am a pro-napper, and I am absolutely obsessed with Takis chips. I have done ballet, tap-ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading, and competitive cheerleading since I was 4 years old. Ever since my final years I wanted to start coaching, so I am more than excited to be your new coach!!

Fun Facts:

• I love R&B music
• I am from a military family
• I did competitive cheer for 6 years
• I want to be an ER doctor or a psychologist
• My favorite movie is Back To The Future

Vanessa Atler is an American former elite gymnast known for her impressive achievements. She was the 1997 U.S. national all-around champion, won gold on the floor exercise and vault at the 1998 Goodwill Games, and earned four national championships in vault, balance beam, and floor exercise. In 1996, she became the junior national all-around and floor champion. At the 1999 American Cup, Vanessa made history as the first female gymnast to successfully perform a Rudi vault. In 2014 she became a published childrens author, writing a story about a gymnast who learns a lesson about her passion for gymnastics.

Who’s that girl? It’s Jess!

I was born and raised in North County SLO for 26 years before branching out on the East Coast for a few and returning home with my two awesome kiddos.

I have had the pleasure of coaching many gymnasts over the course of 10 years and have loved every minute. I’ve also spent a number of years working with children in preschools, YMCA programs, and babysitting throughout the local community.

I am a single parent to an energetic 8-year-old boy and a super sassy 5-year-old girl, and both dying to get into gymnastics and follow in their mama’s footsteps!

Fun Facts:

• Broke my back and didn’t know it! Ouch!
• I’ve lived in CA, MD, & CT
• I’m learning how to play the violin and ukulele
• I enjoy reading and knitting when I have time

My name is McKenzie! I have lots of experience with Tramp and Tumble, Girl’s Gymnastics, Dance, and the Xcel Program. I have been a coach for 5 years and I love my job! Before I was a coach, I was a competitive gymnast for many years and made it to train Level 7. I also was competitive dancer throughout high school.

Fun Facts:

• I am a Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Administration major with an Event Planning concentration at Cal Poly.
• I have received two NorCal All Around State titles for Girls Competitive Gymnastics.

My name is Marissa and I’m from Washington! I love kids and am so excited to be here! I did gymnastics for 3 years and have done cheer for 7. I love to help people so I hope to one day be in the medical field. I really like being in the gym and have a passion for tumbling.

• I like to hang out with friends
• I volunteer at a preschool
• I love traveling the world
• I have two dogs and two cats

Hi, my name is Maya and I am from Sacramento, California. I am current student at Cal Poly studying biological sciences, in hopes of becoming a physician’s assistant. I am on the cheer and STUNT team at Cal Poly and I have been cheering since I was 5 in both high school and all-star cheer. I am excited to be become apart of staff at CCG and help all the athletes grow and excel in the sport they love.

• I have three beagles
• I am a College Club STUNT
National Champion
• I always have aquaphor with me
• Taylor Swift is my favorite artist

My name is Raelee and I’ve lived on the Central Coast my entire life.! I have been competitive gymnast since the 2nd grade and I competed here at CCG on Xcel! I was on the 2022-2023 CCE Airforce 1 team as well. I’m so excited to be coaching! Outside of CCG, I love hanging out with my friends and love riding horses as well.

• I love barrel racing.
• I have two dogs
• I love camping
• I want to be a nurse one day.
• I am a 4H and a FFA Member

My name is Madalyn and I am from Los Angeles. I have done cheer since I was 5 years old and am currently on the Cal Poly Cheer and STUNT Team. At Cal Poly I am studying City and Regional Planning and minoring in Real Property Development. I am excited to become a part of the CCG staff and meet all of the athletes!

• I like to travel, go hiking, and go to the beach.
• I love to do puzzles.
• I enjoy trying new arts and crafts projects.
• I am a college club STUNT National champion.

Hi! I am coach Natalie! I have been at CCG since 2014!

I have done many different programs at CCG. I have done acro on the pre-team. I have done a silks and cirque class at CCG (although it sadly doesn’t exist anymore), and I was on the Xcel team for three seasons!

Sadly, I had to quit being a gymnast in 2021 because of a lower back injury.

I loved CCG so much that I volunteered at CCG’s summer camp in 2021, and I ABSOLUTELY loved it! I love CCG, and it has been a huge part of my life. I hope to help everyone have the same amazing experience I had at CCG!

I coach Girls Rec and the Super Summer Camp!

• I take Latin at SLO High!
• I have been at CCG longer than most coaches!
• I have lived in SLO all of my life!
• I can juggle!
• I go to Lake Tahoe every summer and Tahoe is my favorite place to be!

I’m excited to provide an enriching, nurturing, and fun environment for your children! My goal is to bring a calm, curious, and caring management style to the start or end of your child’s CCG camp experience.

I’m a former educator with a BA from Indiana University and an MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Now I’m homeschooling my own 5 children.

As a mother of two neurodivergent children, I’m ready to meet your child where they are and help them feel safe, secure, and supported while in before and after care.

• I moved from NC to CA to PA to CA – all within 6 years!
• I am afraid of dogs.
• I love geology and geography.
• I was hit by a car when was in 3rd grade.

My name is Emma. I did Allstar cheer at Steele Athletics and Peak Athletics in Denver for 11 years and 2 years on Cal Poly’s Cheer and Stunt team. I have competed at the Cheerleading Worlds 3 times, and I am a 2023 College Club Stunt National Champion. I’m in my 3rd year of studying architecture at Cal Poly. I can’t wait to get back into the Allstar cheer world here at CCE!

• I have a twin brother
• I have been to 12 countries and over 30 states
• I have two dogs here with me in SLO
• I am from Denver, CO

Hey! My name is Chloe. I’m a second year at Cal Poly. I started gymnastics when I was around 3, but started competing Xcel around 9. I stopped Xcel at 14 and started doing cheer and stunt in high school. In high school, I also coached at my home gym and I am super excited to get back into coaching again. In my free time, I love going to the beach, going on drives, and watching sunset.

• I love to bake.
• I am a psychology major.
• I did cheer and stunt all 4 years of high school.
• I want to be a pediatric nurse.
• My favorite show is Grey’s Anatomy.

Hi, my name is Nikita. I will be a 3rd year at Cal Poly and my major is biomedical engineering. I competed in Artistic Gymnastics for 5 years and in T&T for 8 years until 2023. I went to Nationals for T&T 4 times, and in my last season, I was an Open Elite on Trampoline.

• I have two cats and a dog
• I am from the Bay Area
• I have hiked Mount Kilimanjaro
• I know how to play the piano