Sault Ste. Marie Gymnastics Club athletes are eagerly looking forward to competing in the National Gymnastics Association (NGA) National Championships to be held June 2-7 in Virginia Beach, Va.
“We're proud to represent Canada because we’re the only Canadian team at these championships. There are a lot of clubs from the U.S. and also a lot of clubs from South Africa and the United Kingdom,” said Kim O’Brien, Sault Ste. Marie Gymnastics Club head coach.
O’Brien and assistant coach Alexa Notte will accompany no less than eight gymnasts to the Nationals.
The team includes:
- Myah Stefanizzi (15 years old, Grade 10, Korah Collegiate)
- Ava Greener (13 years old, Grade 8, Sault Area Middle School, Sault Mich.)
- Zeegwen Rickard (12 years old, Grade 6, East View Public School)
- Peyton O’Brien (11 years old, Grade 5, St. Francis French Immersion)
- Reagan Deschamps (12 years old, Grade 6, St. Francis French Immersion)
- Daiveny Pringle (14 years old, Grade 8, Superior Heights Collegiate)
- Addison Keating (12 years old, Grade 7, Anna McCrea Public School)
- Ivy Mooney (11 years old, Grade 6, Grand View Public School)
The eight gymnasts will be displaying their skills in the four main elements of female gymnastics - vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Stefanizzi, Pringle and Peyton O’Brien excel on the uneven bars while Greener, Rickard, Deschamps, Mooney and Keating do well on the balance beam.
“We've travelled this season to four invitationals in Michigan and also Wisconsin. We did a national qualifier virtually with a judge from California. They all qualified and this is the first year that all eight in the group are attending the Nationals so that's rather exciting. This has been our best season since I've been head coach,” coach Kim O’Brien told SooToday.
This will be Greener’s third trip to the Nationals and the second for Peyton O’Brien.
Prior to getting ready to travel to Virginia, Greener and Peyton O’Brien excelled at the 2025 Valentine’s Save A Heart Invitational in February in Waterford, Mich., placing first and second respectively in their division.
”I'm excited about the Nationals. I feel like we're all pretty prepared. I'm most confident on the beam in competitions. I'm confident in all my skills but I do best on beam,” Greener said.
“I'm nervous about the Nationals but I'm excited at the same time. My favourite is the uneven bars. I like the swinging and strength it takes,” Peyton O’Brien added.
Coach Kim O’Brien has watched her team steadily improve every season.
“I really think that every single one of them has the chance to do really well at the Nationals. I think that if they go in with a mindset that it's just like any other invitational and not let the pressure get to them, I think they all have the potential to be extremely successful.”
Coach O’Brien said that most of the girls want to win their way to NCAA scholarships.
“We spend 20 hours a week with these kids. It's a lot of time. They’re passionate about being here," she added.
"They're balancing school, they're balancing gym, balancing social lives, and a lot of them are dual athletes. A lot of them play hockey and soccer and yet they're still able to perform at this level. It's nice for me as a coach to see the team grow every year, to go to these championships and represent our city at such a big event.”