(From left) Josh Polk looks on at Geriatric Gymnasts team captain Troy Fuller. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Children and young adults are a predictable driver for most gymnastics clubs, fueled by the dominance of the U.S. on the world stage in the sport. But Richmond’s Geriatric Gymnasts are here to prove that all ages and skill levels are welcome to flip, turn and stick the landing.
Since August 2024, Goochland County’s Xtreme Heights Gym has hosted an adult gymnastics team, nicknamed the Geriatric Gymnasts, for anyone from former college athletes to those who have only watched the sport during the Olympics. Xtreme Heights is one of only a few area gymnastics gyms to host adult sessions; others include All-American Gymnastics in Ashland, as well as Virginia Elite Gymnastics Academy, aka VEGA, in New Kent.
While scattered around the region, opportunities for adults to hit the mat are gaining in popularity locally and nationwide, thanks in part to the changing demographics and increasing success of Team USA’s top stars as they enter their late 20s and 30s. In 2024, the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs estimated that 20% of its competitors for its national meet were “non-students,” or above college age.
The captain of Xtreme Height’s Geriatric Gymnasts, Troy Fuller, grew up in Gloucester and now lives in Richmond. He says many team members have a sense of “unfinished business” when it comes to reentering the sport, citing the mental challenge and high-pressure atmosphere surrounding youth gymnastics that forced some out at a young age. “Adult gymnastics can be a really great way for them to fall in love with the sport again,” Fuller says. “If they don’t want to touch the balance beam again, they’ll never have to.”
Faith Minor, a team member from Henrico County, has practiced at Xtreme Heights since it opened in December 2017. A competitive gymnast in college, Minor thought they were done competing after graduation. Minor began asking the gym owner about offering an adult practice, eventually helping start the Geriatric Gymnasts.
“If you’ve ever looked at someone doing gymnastics on TV and thought, ‘That is so cool,’ just give it a shot,” Minor says. “You will probably surprise yourself with the things you can learn to do.”
Team member Josh Polk, a Richmond resident, had danced growing up, and when he saw a post about the inaugural adult practice, he simply showed up. For Polk, practice is a fun outlet and a great way to stay active. During each practice, the first half hour is spent warming up, and for the remaining hour and a half each member is assigned to stations and drills to work on specific skills such as handsprings and vault jumps.
“There is an entry point for adults,” Polk says. “There’s beauty in being a beginner in something. It’s a lot of fun to dream of where I’ll go and have those goals.”
The Geriatric Gymnasts team will be competing for the first time this year through the NAIGC, giving members the chance to enter regional and national competitions where adult participation is expected to rise.
“Gymnastics is kind of addictive,” Fuller says. “It starts with a ‘Whoa, I didn’t know I was capable of that,’ then ‘On to the next one.’”
Xtreme Heights’ adult practices are held on Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m. Practices are open to any interested adult.
