Courtney Starks
Head Recreational Instructor
Courtney started gymnastics at the age of 3 through 13 and was a competitive gymnast for the Pikes. After her gymnastics career she became a cheerleader at Canyon High School and was an All-American Cheerleader her senior year. Courtney has taught team, pre-team, recreational, & cheer for the last 13 years. After high school she received an AS in Math/Science at COC& BS in Kinesiology at CSUN. She is Safety Certified, CPR/First Aid, & KAT certified. Courtney has been a preschool teacher, volunteered for handicapped children, worked at a chiropractic office, taught at the Air Force Academy Sports Camp, taught at Fun & Fit Gymnastics Center, & at Gleason's Gymnastic School in Minnesota. Courtney is also a USAG Certified Meet Director.
Kelly Kozlowski
Instructor
Kelly started gymnastics at the age of 2 through 13 and was a Level 8 competitive gymnast for the Pikes team. She currently attends Saugus High School and is an enthusiastic J.V. cheerleader. After high school Kelly plans on attending UCLA to become a pediatrician. She has taught pre-school, recreational, and cheer tumbling classes at Gymnastics Unlimited for the last 2 years. In her spare time she enjoys cheerleading, gymnastics, dancing and music.
Jeff Vamvas
Team Coach, Instructor
Jeff has been coaching gymnastics since 1978. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University earning a degree in elementary education. He owned and was the head coach of Clarksville Gymnastics in Tennessee for 20 years. He has coached numerous State Champions in levels 4 through 9. He has attended many coaching and judging clinics held by the USAG and the NAWGJ.
Shelby Eichman
Instructor
Shelby has been part of the GU family since 2005 and was a former gymnast since the age of 18 months thru age 10. She has been dancing competitively for over 10 years. She currently attends UC Davis and is majoring in Genetics with a minor in Psychology. Many of you may know her from her time as a GU Summer Camp Counselor, Open Gym Coach or Birthday Party Coach. Shelby also now coaches girl's gymnastics and will be attending her first USAG Regional Congress Summer 2009. Shelby was also a volunteer coach for our Special Olympics Rhythmic & Artistic Gymnastics Team.
Ola Gilkey
Team Coach
Ola was a competitive gymnast and has been teaching for the last 13 years. For the past 2 years she has been a part of the Gymnastics Unlimited staff. She is currently working with the Compulsory Competitive Pikes team and is an advisor to the Pre Team and Pre Team Boot Camp. She is a USAG Professional Member, Safety Certified, & CPR/First aid certified. Some of her other accomplishments have been attending El Camino College, Recreational Director, Meet Director, and a volunteer for the World Gymnastics Championships in 2003. Ola's hobbies include dance, drawing, and writing.
Vanessa Atler
Head Team Coach
Vanessa started gymnastics at the age of 5 at Gymnastics Unlimited and became a National Team member in 1994-2001. She was home schooled and graduated high school in 2000. Vanessa's accomplishments include being the 1996 Junior national Champion, 1997 Senior National Co-Champion, 1998 Goodwill Games Double Gold Medalist, 1999 World Championships Team, & 2000 Senior Pacific Alliance Team. Her favorite events include the Balance Beam & Uneven Bars. She now resides at Gymnastics Unlimited as the Head Team Coach for the Pikes. In her spare time Vanessa enjoys to read and watch old movies.
Tricia Curran
Instructor
Tricia has been a coach at Gymnastics Unlimited for the past 6 years. She loves the sport and was a former gymnast. She is a substitute teacher with the Newhall School District and hopes to gain a full time position soon. Tricia is also a volunteer coach for our Special Olympics Rythmnic and Artistic Gymastics Team.
Louise Plouffe
Office Staff - "The Queen"
Louise has been in the Office at GU for over 3 years and is the happy face who greets our students and parents every day. She is also a former Pikes Mom.
Tami Fox
Instructor
Tami was a former Pike in the good ole days and Coach Courtney, one of her former teammates saw her taking her daughter to gym and asked her to become a coach. She was a fast learner and has become an excellent addition to our coaching staff. She is very enthusiastic and always looking for new ways to enhance her student's workouts.
Anne Davidson
Gym Maintenance/Sanitation Specialist
Anne and her husband Carl have faithfully been cleaning both GU facilities for many years. She gained her position when her daughter became part of the competitive team and has been keeping GU sparkly clean ever since. GU boasts one of the cleanest facilities in Los Angeles County.
Deana Duvall
Instructor
Deana comes to GU from Florida with over 20 years of coaching experience. Deanna also taught at the famous Woodward Gymnastics Center in Pennsylvania for 4 years. She just couldn't get away from the gym. Working her day job as a personal assistant to a creator of a popular prime time TV series; Deanna spends her Saturdays as a coach and also coaches our special Autistic class. Deanna has a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication and Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida.
Carissa Stuursma
Instructor/ Office Staff
Carissa has been coaching at Gymnastics Unlimited for 2 1/2 years. She took gymnastics on and off when she was younger. It became her passion at age 13 when she made the Valencia High School Cheer Squad. She loves coaching and continues to tumble in her spare time. She is a graduate of Valencia High School and is attending College of the Canyons working toward a degree in American Sign Language Interpreting.
Maureen Fulgencio
Instructor
Experience: gymnast since the age of 10; competed for 7 years; Level 9 competitive gymnast; coach for 3 years. Education: University of California, Irvine – Class of 2010; Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences; aspiring to attend graduate school in the next year or two. Certification: CPR Certified
Jake Leach
Jake started gymnastics at the age of 4 and competed until the age of .. After competitive gymnastics, Jake experimented with martial arts and is now a 2nd degree black belt, trained in Parkor and a certified personal trainer. He has been instructing martial arts and gymnastics for 4 years. Jake is a graduate of Canyon High School and is currently pursuing an education in sports medicine and nutrition. Jake is also CPR certified, First Aid and Safety certified and USAG certified.
Ben Corr
Team Coach
Majored in Phys Ed., emphasis on Exercise Physiology at UC Berkeley 1976-79. Professional Coach since 1979, 32 years. Competed for UC Berkeley 1976-79 training under Masayuki Watanabe. Coached at UC Berkeley for the Recreation Department (Golden Bear Gymnastics) and for the Intercollegiate Women's Team for 10 years and 5 years respectively. Coached for Rohnert Park Gymnastics 1991-2010, 19 years. Had two Jr. International Elite (Karissa Chock and Sierra Sapunar) and a National Level Elite (Tanya Richoli). Got to hang out with Vanessa Atler who is totally cool to this day. So far in my JO career 26 of my gymnasts went on to compete in the NCAA, all with some athletic scholarship. NorCal optional Coach of the Year 3 times. I've served on the NorCal Administrative board for over 10 years and administer the NorCal web site and the NorCal score database.I've spoken and coached at several Regional camps and the Region 1 Congress.B.A. Degree in Computer Science from Sonoma State University 2006. I continue to do research with Professor George Ledin at SSU in the area of Cryptography/Malware/Security.
Katie Nailling
Instructor
Katie is a Senior at Valencia High School and a Varsity Cheerleader. She has been a student at Gymnastics Unlimited since the age of 3. She coaches our 45 minute Coed classes, girls and boys.
Carolyn Durazo
Instructor
Carolyn started doing the splits at age 2 and didn't formerly start gymnastics until age 6. She attended various gyms in the San Fernando Valley area such as YMCA and Gymnastics Olympica until the age of 16. She then took the skills she learned from gymnastics and applied them toward dance. She joined a dance crew at age 19, where she performed at various venues throughout the LA area until age 29. Carolyn has also obtained the Bachelor's degree in Business Management and has worked in the Accounting & Tax field for 20 years and Real Estate for 10 years. Most recently, her 6 year old daughter joined the Pikes competitive team and she could not be more proud! Carolyn's favorite things to do are watch movies, dance and spend quality time with her husband, 9 year old son and 6 year old daughter.
Lexie Antimisaris
Instructor
Lexie is a former tumbling and trampoline competitor and competitive gymnast. She has been with the GU family since she was fifteen. Lexie is attending California State University Northridge in pursuit of a business degree. She hopes to coach throughout her college career.
Kimmy Schott
Team Dance Instructor
Kimmi started dance and gymnastics at the age of 3 and has been a part of many competitive teams throughout the last 15 years. She is currently attending College of the Canyons and is working hard with the Pikes team on their ballet technique. She loves working with kids who share the same passion and determination she had growing up. She hopes to continue coaching dance and gymnastics with the Gymnastics Unlimited family throughout her college years.
Lindsay Viera
Recreational Director
Lindsay started coaching gymnastics in 2004 and became part of the GU family in 2006. She has taught preschool aged gymnastics, girls and boys gymnastics, teen tumbling, cheer leading and pre-team through Level 5 competitive gymnastics. From the ages of 8 to 12 years old, Lindsay competed in gymnastics at Santa Clarita Valley School of Gymnastics Aerials. At the age of 12 she decided to switch to competitive dance. Lindsay danced for The Dance Experience on their Elite Team. She was also a member of the Saugus High School Dance Team and helped her team win five National titles and was a Captain in her Senior year. Lindsay has worked with children since she was 16 where she started as an in home tutor for elementary school children. She has a background in early childhood education, kinesiology and business. She has an Associates Degree in transfer studies from COC. She is also a Certified Phlebotomist. Lindsay's love for gymnastics and children has brought her back to Gymnastics Unlimited now as a Director.
Marco Gualotuna
Instructor
Marco began gymnastics at the age of 4. He became part of the Ecuadorian team at 14. He came to the US in 1975 and became an ECC gymnast and the assistant coach. In 1980 in left the US and taught at the El Inca College in South America. He returned to the US in 1998 and coached at Studio West until 2000. He became a USAG certified professional women's coach. He left the US again and ran Tumbaco-Edcaudor and Gymnastics Academis for four years. In 2004, he returned to the US and trained the staff of Flairs Gymnastics in Florida. In 2005, he was part of the staff of South Bay Gymnastics until 2009. At that time, Marco went back to school ot earn his fourth teaching credential in Career Techinical Education or CTE. He is now a Hybrid Systems Educator and coaches both recreational classes and our pre team boot camp at GU.
