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.

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.

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 Kamryn! I am a third-year psychology major at Cal Poly, but am originally from the Bay Area. I have 14 years of gymnastics experience, 8 years of which I competed. I have participated in the compulsory, optional, and XCEL programs and coached at my gym back home for 2 years. I’m excited to be join the CCG staff and stay connected to the gymnastics environment!

Fun Facts:

• I have been on the world’s tallest roller coaster
• I love to bake
• I never learned to ride a bike
• I enjoy being creative and am always up for arts and crafts.

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!

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 Director!

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.

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

My name is Ansley. I have done gymnastics since I was 7 years old and I competed Acro for 8 years. I was a top for 5 years and was at the elite level, I also was a base for 3 years. I am now a first-year at Cal Poly SLO and majoring in Business Administration. I am super excited to be coaching acro and sharing my love for the sport

• I have competed acro in Canada and Switzerland
• I love traveling and I have been to 30 of the 50 states
• My first ever acro competition was at Ccoast Gymnastics

My name is Rhonda and I am thrilled to be here at CCG. I love working with kids and have a lot of experience with the preschool gang. I love walking on the beach with my dog, playing video games, painting, and being with my family. I got involved with CCG through the T&T program and I may be biased but I think it is the best!

• I lived in Texas for 30 years
• I am a grandma
• I have 2 dogs and a cat
• I owned a bookstore
• I love Star Wars

Hi amazing people! My name is Cheyenne and I am super excited to be here at CCG! I go to school In Bozeman at Montana State University where I am pursing nursing. While in Montana I love to be outdoors hiking, skiing, and swimming (when its warm) and enjoy the scenery. I am originally from Los Osos California and I graduated from Morro Bay High School. I grew up dancing, doing gymnastics, and cheering.

• I love Country music
• I go to college in Montana
• I cheered in middle school & high school
• My favorite movie is A league of Their Own
• I love DIY projects

Hi everyone! My name is Allie, and I am so excited to be working with CCG! I was a gymnast from ages three to fourteen, reaching level eight. I then went on to coach gymnastics for four more years. College life led me in a different direction for a couple years, but my passion for gymnastics and working with children has brought me here. I am so excited to be back in the world of gymnastic!

• I love being outdoors, especially at the beach!
• I grew up on a 90-acre ranch and have raised many different farm animals!
• I love to bake goodies for my friends and family!

Hello! My name is Anna and I am a third year here at Cal Poly studying Kinesiology! I am from the beautiful state of Montana and grew up competing in gymnastics. I am coaching rec classes here at CCG and I am so excited to be back in the gym where everyone shares the same love and passion for gymnastics. Outside of the gym I love to spend my time travelling, skiing, playing guitar, learning, and being around my family!

• I studied abroad in Australia!
• I played soccer and track in high school
• I love Harry Potter!
• I have two younger sisters
• My favorite event was beam!

My name is Madison and I am the PS and Roos coach here is at Central Coast Gymnastics! I have been in the medical field, peer coaching for the disabled, management for retail, cosmetologist, and CNA. I have always been in the sport, or gym, so I wanted to venture out to coaching in my next adventure. I have had a passion for children for many years, So I have decided to take the route of helping children reach their goals in a gym setting. I believe in giving a child the tools, movement, and faith to succeed to their biggest potential. I am so honored to be part of CCG and give the children a chance to prove that they can succeed at anything and everything that they are passionate about here at the gym.

Kate, a SLO native and former Level 10 gymnast, discovered her passion for gymnastics after being inspired by a World Championships uneven bars routine she watched. After many months of begging, her parents finally enrolled her in gymnastics, “coincidentally” leading to her eventual specialization in the uneven bars.

Shortly after beginning gymnastics, Kate relocated out of state to train under world-renowned coaches. Throughout her competitive career, she not only won numerous All-Around titles but also secured multiple State and Regional titles on the uneven bars.

In addition to her gymnastics background, Kate obtained a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and also completed specialized dietetics training through Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Her knowledge in nutrition, combined with her past experience as a certified personal trainer, allows her to offer a holistic approach to coaching.

Kate’s greatest joy in coaching is witnessing the same spark of passion in her athletes that first ignited her own love for the sport. By integrating her knowledge in gymnastics, nutrition, and fitness, she is dedicated to helping her athletes excel in gymnastics and in life, fostering both their athletic skills and overall well-being.

My name is Erika and I was raised in Paso Robles! I currently am attending Cuesta College and Majoring in Kinesiology. I grew up doing competitive gymnastics around SLO county. And at one point I did gymnastics at CCG! I love to do anything outside, whether its going to the beach, rock climbing, repelling, or hiking etc.

Hey there, my names Elyse! I am originally from North Idaho but I grew up in Southern California where I did competitive cheer at the California Allstars! Now I live in SLO and go to Cuesta College where I am studying to become an Aerospace Engineering

• I’ve won Bronze in '18 & '19 at The Cheerleading Worlds
• I was on Lady Bullets for 2 years and Cali Coed for 1 year
• I own 4 chickens and 3 fish
• I’m currently training for a 70.3 Ironman
• I’ve gone skydiving

Hello! My name is Sami and I was born in San Luis Obispo and was raised in Los Osos! I currently attend Cal Poly SLO and majoring in Biochemistry. Outside of school, some hobbies I enjoy are hanging out with friends, going to the beach, and making art!

• I did cheer here at CCE for 10 years
• I have two cats
• I have one older brother
• I did gymnastics here at CCG before I moved to cheer

Hello! My name is Cade and I am a Senior at SLO High School! I was born and raised here in San Luis Obispo, and I am a Coaching here at CCG. Outside of the gym I love to spend my time with friends and family, going to the movies, painting, hiking, listening to music, and traveling!

• I love learning about astrophysics
• I was the set designer for the SLOHS Theatre Co.
• I traveled to Europe with my best friend in 2019
• I have one younger brother
• I once piloted a plane from SLO to Paso Robles by myself!

Hello! My name is Jamie Collins. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I moved to SLO in 2020. I am currently a senior at SLO high, and am planning on attending cuesta in the fall! I plan on majoring in theater and minoring in business. In my free time I love to cook new recipes, play just dance, travel around SLO with my friends, and do anything that is associated with theater!

• I've acted in 5 plays at school and 2 at SLO REP
• I have a Great Dane named Bear
• I played waterpolo in middle school
• I did ballet for a year when I was 11
• I've attended 9 different schools!

Hello! My name is Hudson and I was born in Orange County but I was raised in San Luis Obispo! I currently attend San Luis Obispo High School with a particular interest in math, I am also on my school’s debate team. Outside of school I do Boy Scouts. Some hobbies I have are listening to music, hanging out with friends, and theater!

• My dream job is a math teacher
• I taught myself how to do a front flip
• I live on a farm
• I have one younger sister
• I did gymnastics in kindergarten

Hey y'all, my name is Ella! I grew up here on the central coast, and graduated from Morro Bay High in 2022! I have lived out of state for the last two years, but I just moved back home permanently! I have coached here since June of 2021, and absolutely love what I do. I am one of the camp directors here at CCG, and I also coach preschool and girls recreational classes! I am currently attending Cuesta College, getting my degree in Agriculture Business with an emphasis on Education, with the goal of teaching high school agriculture!

• In high school I used to raise pigs and heifers for the county fair!
• I have my American FFA degree (only 2% of nationwide FFA students get this degree!)
• I lived in Montana for a little under two years
• I am certified in Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine
• I love western fashion and flashy western jewelry!