At 52, I attended my first adult gymnastics camp in Crossville, Tennessee. This is all about my FlipFest experience.
Sometimes, your world can feel small. This is especially true when you leave for a bit to experience something on a much grander scale. In my case, I’d been preparing for weeks to expand my gymnastics horizons.
My home base
My home gym is Flipper’s Gymnastics in Ramsey, NJ.
It’s a wonderful recreational facility that has been challenging me (in the best ways) for years. We have three adult classes, two of which I coach. We welcome people from all backgrounds with any skill level. Our main goal is to help people progress from where they are now in a fun, safe and supportive environment. The biggest successes are often the “small” ones, when we overcome giant mental blocks and often paralyzing fears.
After 16 years of slow, steady-ish training progress, I had an opportunity to go to my first adult gymnastics camp. Despite the anxieties and doubts, I became an NAIGC member and signed up to participate in my first FlipFest.
Read Preparing for my First Gymnastics Camp and Getting Ready for Camp for the backstory.
Ready to go!
Once I signed up, the excitement and anticipation mounted quickly. I was so ready to go that my bag was packed five days before we left.
Tammy, Lisette and I ventured on a 12-hour road trip to the middle of nowhere. We couldn’t wait to play on a giant playground for three days. It was going to be epic.
No Whammies
Our motto for the trip was “No Whammies,” an ode to the 80s game show Press Your Luck. The stated goals:
- Don’t get hurt.
- Don’t get into an accident.
- Return home unscathed and in one piece.
Not too lofty, but necessary to remain mindful and prevent imminent disaster. My worst fear was landing poorly and breaking myself like I did a year ago, especially 12 hours from home. And I couldn’t fathom getting into an accident on the highway. All we wanted was to work hard and have a ton of fun.
Throughout the trip, we just kept saying to each other “No Whammies!” as a reminder to keep our impulses at bay and stay focused. I am proud to report that there were no such whammies anywhere at anytime on that trip. Hard work and fun was most certainly achieved.
The FlipFest camp
After two days of driving, we arrived at the camp.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting. It was beautiful, bucolic, and the air was clear and fresh. We arrived early, so Tammy grabbed her guitar and we headed to the lake. There, we wrote our Ode to FlipFest.
Right across from our cabin was a petting zoo, complete with a donkey and a bunch of goats. All weekend, they were chilling out, people watching, and enjoying the occasional head scratch.
All weekend, I marveled at the the fact that I was in Tennessee, at gymnastics camp. (Who does that? I don’t. And yet, I’m here!) Like I said, I’m used to a much smaller, closer to home gym experience. Even going to Paradigm an hour away gave me pause at first. Two days from home was a real head-scratcher.
However, once we arrived, we all felt at home and at ease.
Our accommodations
The camp cabins were air conditioned, roomy, and comfortable. They were a perfect post-workout place for respite for weary, older gymnasts. We spent lots of time recovering there.
All meals were provided for us before each training session. They weren’t gourmet, but tasty and replenished the nutrients we needed to keep going. It was a little weird to eat right before a two or three hour workout, but we made it work.
Meal times gave us a chance to meet some new people while we fueled up.
The camp was set on a large lake and we had time in the middle of Saturday to enjoy it. People swam and boated. We took a turn on “the big swing.” Then, we enjoyed a good nap before round three Saturday night.
The gym facilities
Once we checked in, we toured the facilities. The gyms were immense: three warehouse spaces packed with every type of gymnastics equipment fathomable. Each area had a foam pit to crash into and climb out of. There were rows of vaulting tables, side by side trampolines, 10+ beams and bars setups, tons of tumbling opportunities. Like I said: it was a giant playground that was overrun with adults.
The workout schedule
The gym workouts were basically a giant open gym setting, without little kids running amok. I will say that I was very overwhelmed on Friday. Just knowing what I wanted to do next was a lot.
I thought about the skills I had and how I wanted to challenge myself. Then, I worked in areas that had the least people at any given time. I tried not to get too wrapped up in the fact that the hundred-or-so people were flipping circles around me. Instead, I appreciated the fact that we were all there for the same reason: to improve our skills. Seeing their achievements was mesmerizing and inspiring.
Friday night (2 hours)
After our first dinner, this session was to get acquainted with the equipment and shake off the nerves. Our muscles and joints were also very tight from sitting in the car for 12 hours. There were a lot of kinks to work out.
After the evening workout, we joined others at the campfire for s’mores, even though we were exhausted. What would a camp adventure be without having a s’more?
Saturday morning (3 hours)
I rarely workout for three hours, especially after I’ve worked out the night before. But, we were there for a reason. After breakfast, I was really energized. I knew I had to pace myself and by the end of session two, I actually had energy to spare. I guess I started getting into a groove.
After the morning workout, we sat for lunch. The afternoon was open to enjoy the lake and rest. We opted for rest and recovery in the cabin, except for our big swing experience. When you’re an older gymnast, you need a lot of recovery time. But for the younger, more energetic crowd, there was a lively outdoor volleyball game, boating and swimming.
Saturday evening (3 hours)
After dinner, it felt like I was riding the same energy high as that morning. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. After the first hour, my weary muscles started talking back to me. My quadriceps and hips rebelled, and I still had another two hours the next morning.
The latter part of the time was spent stretching, watching others, and trying a little more beam dismounts. Lisette and Tammy were working hard on their bars skills, and Lisette finally got her flyaway after years of fear. I rallied a bit at the end on the beam, but I knew I’d be suffering if I didn’t pace myself. We still had one more workout to go.
End of workout 3. Yes, we are smiling. Yes, we are sore.
Sunday morning (2 hours)
This was the last hurrah. We focused on getting in any last minute skills before packing up and heading home. We almost crawled out of the gym at the end, but were so happy just the same.
The Honeybees trio getting ready to go home.
What I got out of FlipFest
It’s hard to put into words what this trip meant to me. There were so many firsts and so many fear breakthroughs. I’d say I survived, but I did much more than that: I thrived. I lived. I flipped out of the box and into the foam pit. This was the experience that I wish I’d had when I was younger, but it feels so much more meaningful now.
This is what the FlipFest experience did for me:
It pushed me out of my comfort zone
Just walking into the massive facility for the first time made me want to curl up in a little ball. Fortunately, my sense of adventure and curiosity pushed me to try different things and get better acclimated with each workout. This was not what I was used to, so every step forward was a big win.
In the shadow that’s often cast by imposter syndrome, I was able to shine my light. Amidst the fear and anxiety, it didn’t matter what I didn’t know yet. What mattered was every new attempt, every decision to GO, despite the fear. It was a constant reminder to feel the fear, trust my body, and go anyway. That’s powerful.
I never thought I’d be capable of doing four workouts (10 hours total) over three days. I learned how to pace myself so I’d last. I learned how to adjust to new equipment. It reinforced the fact that I am capable of more than I think.
This experience was unlike any other, and I’ll tell you, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
I met other gymnasts
I appreciated the variety of ability and skill level of everyone there. People like me were mixed in with the ultra-competitive gymnasts. We all took turns in three immense warehouse spaces full of every kind of gym apparatus. It was almost dizzying to figure out where I’d fit in. It was like the big kahuna of gym facilities where everyone knew more than me.
As humbled as I was, I saw that everyone was just as humbled in their efforts to improve. Talking to them and seeing their struggles was a salve to my own self-doubt. Meeting some of my IG acquaintances also helped. It’s nice to know they are real people with real jobs and lives. Gymnastics was the common link that brought us all into the same space. We applauded each other when something stuck, uplifted when we fell head first into the foam pit.
Top left: The Honeybee Trio with Susan E. @smelliott_21
Top middle: Tammy squared!
Top right: Honeybees with Leilah @leilahmc and Patrick
Bottom left: I loved meeting Mia @thebossiraptor
Bottom right: Our silly FlipFest pic
I enjoyed the best road trip with my girlfriends
This was my first 12-hour road trip with friends, with whom I have made an even more incredible connection.
They were my gym buddies before; now they are like sisters.
It’s not often I feel so comfortable with other women. We spent this potentially stressful adventure at ease and feeling fluid in all of our decisions. There was never a difficulty; we just enjoyed each other’s company and were always supportive. We laughed, shared stories, and were able to sit in silence when we needed rest. I couldn’t have asked for two better travel companions.
Would I do it all again?
Absolutely. For me, the FlipFest experience was a 10 out of 10. Even better, is that I’ve transferred some newly-acquired skills from Tennessee to Flippers!!
There are new goals to achieve and skills to maintain. Can’t wait for next year!
You can see more progress videos from me, Tammy and Lisette at the links below. Do all of the things: like, follow, subscribe, comment, etc. We love hearing from people who share similar experiences!
YouTube Channel: The Geriatric Gymnast
Instagram: @staceywritesandflips
TikTok: @staceytirro
Geriatric Gymnastics Website: staceytirro.com
Tammy's Instagram: @theneotenyprinciple
Lisette's Instagram: @upside_down_gymnast
Stacey's Headspace 
Loved reading about your experience at the gymnasts camp.
LikeLiked by 1 person