Owner & Coach

Christy started her gymnastics journey at 5 years old, and by the age of 7 had joined the competitive team. She competed for 10 years and built amazing and lasting relationships with her teammates and coaches. At age 13, she began coaching and has been sharing her passion ever since. In 2011 she threw a dart at a map and ended up in Denver, CO. In 2017, she met Ryan, who has been rooted here in BV with his family for over 30 years. Christy moved to Buena Vista in 2017 and began building new roots. After seeing the need for more youth activities, she decided it was time to turn her passion for coaching and working with kids into her full-time career and opened Ark Valley Athletics in 2021. Christy has Irish Twins who are both in preschool this year and love to come “help mom coach” whenever they get the opportunity.

Coach - Preschool & Rec Gymnastics & Ninja

Jessica grew up as a swimmer for all of her life and still continues to be involved in the swimming community. She began competing at the age of 7 and traveled the world for swim meets. She was then offered a scholarship to swim for the Bears at Missouri State University where she majored in graphic design with an emphasis in Illustration. After college swimming, she spent many years coaching children of all ages and levels and is currently teaching lessons at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. If you don’t see her at the pool, you’ll most likely find her surfing river waves, rafting, hiking 14ers or snowboarding on the mountain. She settled in Buena Vista roughly 6 years ago after traveling the country while living in a camper with her husband and three kids. Their family learned early on that life can be short as her son battled cancer at just 3 years old and her brother was killed while fighting in Afghanistan. Their family motto is to “keep livin’ the dream”. Her favorite color is orange, she loves being outside and traveling is her passion.

Coach - Rexcel & Rec Gymnastics

Amelie is a Colorado native. She began gymnastics at the age of 7 and competed until the age of 17 training as a Level 8. At age 17, she began coaching gymnastics. She attended Colorado State University and received her bachelors in Social Studies Education and Spanish Education in 2012. She coached preschool, rec, and pre-team all throughout college at Mountain Gymnastics in Fort Collins, CO. After graduating, she received her first teaching job at Summit High School in Breckenridge, CO and coached middle school gymnastics while teaching until she moved to Salt Lake City, UT to live in the same city as her now-husband, Jon. In Salt Lake City, she coached full time at Gymnastics Training Center. Amelie, Jon, and their 2 kids decided to make their dream of living in a mountain town a reality and moved to Buena Vista in August of 2022. She is excited to pour her energy, heart, and soul into coaching gymnastics again, which has always remained one of her passions. When she isn't coaching, she is recreating outdoors, contemplating her next house project, and telling her 2 toddlers to stop fighting.

Coach - Rexcel

Laura started gymnastics in Maryland as a tumble bee at 18 months old and spent most of her childhood upside down. She began competing at age 5 and continued for the next 9 years, finishing her career after 2 years at Level 9. After playing volleyball, soccer, and pole vaulting in college she moved back to Maryland where she started and coached a high school pole vaulting program. In 2006 she moved to Denver for just 2 years to play in the mountains (whoops get her Masters) and within a few weeks knew she was never heading back East. She married her husband Drew in 2013. They had 2 girls, Elliott and Shiloh. She became a Doula and started teaching barre classes shortly after Elliott was born. In 2019 a family float down the Milk Run ended with them moving to Buena Vista for the small town mountain life. You can usually find her river surfing with her girls, mountain biking or SUPping downriver. Sports, play, and movement are an intrinsic part of who she is and she is stoked to be coaching back in the gym where it all started

Coach - Preschool

Gymnast - Diamond Level Xcel Team

Taiya has been a gymnast ever since she could remember. She loves working with kids and teaching them about something she is so passionate about. Taiya is a perfectionist in everything she does, like school, sports, and her everyday life. Last year Taiya took at shot at Pole Vaulting and took 1st place in the state championship! She values hard work and good attitude. She has grown up in BV with her little sister, Riley who is also in gymnastics. Taiya loves to travel and camp with her family. Taiya is always up for an adventure and very interested in bee keeping! She looks forward to working with you all.

Coach - Aerial Silks, Preschool

& Boys Gymnatics

Cassi is from Fort Collins, Colorado. She grew up doing lots of activities, such as dance, soccer, and snowboarding. In college, she was introduced to aerial silks and continues to practice them to this day. After college, she moved to Buena Vista to be a camp counselor and began coaching skiing and snowboarding. She quickly realized her passion for teaching sports and outdoor activities. Over the course of 3 years, she attained snowboard teaching certifications, including Child Specialist 2. Cassi started coaching and performing aerials in 2022. She is excited to work with kids on their aerial and gymnastics skills with AVA!

Coach - Dance & Preschool

I’m from Austin, TX where I was a student at Ballet Austin for over ten years. I branched out to hip hop, musical theatre, jazz and tap and joined any performing opportunity I could. I’ve danced with two different dance companies and had the opportunity to choreograph fro various shows. I moved to Colorado in 2015 and taught horseback riding at a summer camp in Buena Vista over several summers, as well as taught dance classes to various age groups through the community center. I moved to Denver in 2018 and taught various dance classes for Belliston Dance Academy and Mountain Performing Arts. In 2021 I moved back to Buena Vista with my growing family and I’m very excited to be a part of this community and share my love of movement and art”

Coach - Silver Team & Silks

Sierra’s passion for movement began in the gym at age 5, where she competed USAG through level 6. In high school she started coaching, training, and competing recreationally. After graduating, she moved to the mountains, began her studies in biology and exercise science, and became a licensed massage therapist and a medical assistant. She discovered the Salida Circus, began taking aerial classes, and quickly fell in love. She now lives in Salida and has been with the Circus for over 10 years. Sierra teaches and performs a variety of circus skills including static trapeze, silks, lyra, fire dancing, clowning, stilt walking, tumbling, belly dancing, hoop dancing, contact juggling, and partner acrobatics. When she’s not training she enjoys playing board games with her family, studying, and spending time outside.

Coach - Preschool, Rec Gymnastics & Ninja

Makenna is a lover all board sports. She skateboards, snowboards, surfs and wake surfs. If you don’t see her on a board, she is most likely working with horses or children. Her passion to help children succeed and see them love what they do is shown in everyday life. She enjoys coaching kids of all ages and teaching them new skills. When she’s not at the gym, doing school, or adventuring out and about, she can be found petting someone’s dog. She has a fond love of all animals.

Coach - Advanced Aerial Silks

Brittany is a nanny, outdoor enthusiast, and lover of aerial arts and animals. Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Brittany made the move to the Arkansas River Valley almost 3 years ago. After trying her first circus class in 2014, she fell in love with aerial arts and never put her feet back on the ground. She loves exploring new apparatuses, and embraces the idea of always being a student of your chosen craft. Outside of childcare and aerial, you can find Brittany adventuring, usually in the mountains, in a canyon, or on the water with her family and friends.

Coach - Preschool & Rec Gymnastics

Myla has been doing gymnastics for the past year and a half with AVA. She absolutely loves learning new skills and encouraging others. Myla is looking forward to sharing her passion with the students and to help grow their love for gymnastics. In her free time, she can be found paddle boarding down the river, skiing, camping with her family or skateboarding. She is also passionate about art and loves to create lots of new pieces. Her favorite color is mint and she loves collecting ducks

Coach - Rec Gymnastics

Sydney has lived in Buena Vista for her entire life, it is her favorite place to be. She has a passion and love for gymnastics. She has done gymnastics since I was three and began competing at age 9. Now the highest level in Xcel, Sydney is one of our 3 diamond girls here at AVA. Sydney is so excited to get to work with such incredible kids and see where this job takes her next. She loves coaching because she get to teach kids how to do cool things safely and she loves seeing it make everyone happy. Sydney is planning to go o school to become and EMT.