Persuasive letters from a life-long gymnast to the CEO of YMCA Greater Philadelphia paved the way for a state-of-the-art gymnastics center in Haverford Township, writes Isabella DiAmore for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Abi Young, 12, has been involved with gymnastics at the Haverford Area YMCA since she was 3.
Yet somehow, the experience was always lacking. Gymnasts had to share space with others, unlike other Ys in the region.
“They would divide [the gym] in half,” said Young, a sixth grader at Haverford Middle School. “There were kids playing basketball next to us, so you always hear basketballs, and from time to time, basketballs would fly over — it was kind of weird and not private.”
A smaller space meant limited equipment with no foam pit or full-size floor. Teams traveled to compete.
About a year ago, Young took matters into her own hands. She used an essay assignment at school to write letters to YMCA Greater Philadelphia CEO Shaun Elliott asking for an expanded space.
Elliott described the letters as “eye-opening,” bringing a sense of urgency to the situation.
In October, a new gymnastics center was announced at 4 Raymond Drive in Havertown.
It opened on May 8.
Read more about Abi Young’s efforts and about the new center in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
