GymnasticsVille Podcast

Four-time NCAA champion David Henderson Jr. went from Oklahoma gymnastics to Disney, Cirque du Soleil, and firefighting. Asked which chapter was the hardest, he didn't hesitate: "By far, by far, gymnastics." On this episode of GymnasticsVille: Back to Basics, host Mubarak Simmons sits down with his longtime friend and former teammate. They trained together at Houston Gymnastics Academy under Kevin Mazeika, then reunited at the University of Oklahoma. David is a three-time NCAA team champion, an NCAA still rings national champion, and a former junior and senior U.S. national team member. Today he is a firefighter in South Carolina. IN THIS CONVERSATION - Training at Houston Gymnastics Academy and why "you gotta have serious fun" - Mark Williams, Oklahoma's championship culture, and fighting for every single tenth - The 2005 NCAA team final: Joe Weaver's sacrifice and "I would die for all these guys" - Life as a Tumble Monkey in Disney's Festival of the Lion King - Cirque du Soleil: Corteo, Totem, and "If you're off, bail" - How Cirque taught him to have bad days - Becoming a firefighter and learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable - What gymnastics gave him CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 1:42 The hardest chapter: why gymnastics was the toughest 2:31 Houston Gymnastics Academy and Kevin Mazeika 8:53 Serious fun at HGA 14:51 Moving to Oklahoma 19:27 Mark Williams and what made Oklahoma so hard to beat 23:02 Inside the program: fight for every tenth 28:32 The 2005 NCAA team final: Joe Weaver's sacrifice 35:03 "I would die for all these guys" 38:05 From gymnastics to the stage 41:03 Disney: Festival of the Lion King and Indiana Jones 48:02 Cirque du Soleil: Corteo and Totem 51:33 Inside Cirque: coaching, rehearsal, and stage time 55:14 Learning how to have bad days 1:00:23 Why less is sometimes more 1:03:02 How David led the HGA crew to Oklahoma 1:09:10 Mark Williams' legacy and Oklahoma's new gym 1:13:39 Why firefighting 1:16:01 How gymnastics translates to the fire service 1:20:08 What firefighting changed about life 1:23:40 What gymnastics gave him LINKS Read the full story: https://gymnasticsville.com/beyond-gymnastics-david-henderson-jr-s-journey-from-ncaa-champion-to-cirque-du-soleil-and-firefighting/  Watch the video interview: https://youtu.be/5CyrcNEbucA?si=4hsh526hhzmRkBLp  Follow David Henderson Jr.: https://www.instagram.com/dhjr369/  Website: https://gymnasticsville.com  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gymnasticsville  Hosted by Mubarak Simmons, GymnasticsVille Host. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gymnasticsville-podcast/id1236969576) and share it with a gymnast, coach, or parent who needs to hear it.

Emma Nedov retired from gymnastics, came back nine months before the Paris Olympics, and walked into the stadium at 28. In this Back to Basics conversation, the Australian Olympian shares how the comeback really started, what it took to get there, and the community she is building for the next generation of gymnasts. Emma Nedov is an Australian Olympian (Paris 2024), a two-time Australian national beam champion, and a World Cup gold medalist. She is the creator of High Tea with Emma, co-founder of ND Network, and founder of NYRA (Not Your Regular Athlete). In this episode: • What it felt like to walk back into the gym after retiring, and why the first kip did not happen • Overcoming injuries on the road to Paris • "I didn't love being ordinary": the mindset behind the comeback • Walking out into the stadium at the Paris Olympics • Why beam deserves its own training, and the coaches who shaped her • Winning beam gold at the Baku World Cup • How High Tea with Emma started, and why it may be coming to America • ND Network, NYRA, and the state of Australian gymnastics • Her advice to a young gymnast who feels like quitting CHAPTERS 00:00 Introducing Emma Nedov 00:56 The 2020 retirement decision 01:37 Day one back: the kip on the low bar 03:04 The first practice back 03:31 Calling the coach across the street 04:57 "I think that we can do this" 05:23 Overcoming injuries 10:33 "I didn't love being ordinary" 13:01 Finding her identity outside gymnastics 15:08 Why 20 years of gymnastics "wasn't for nothing" 16:12 Supporting athletes through retirement 17:30 The road to Paris 20:54 Walking out into the stadium 22:25 Why beam deserves its own training 23:09 Learning from Chinese national team coaches 25:17 Beam drills for every gymnast 29:03 Beam gold at the Baku World Cup 32:12 How High Tea with Emma started 39:02 Taking High Tea to America 41:15 ND Network 45:35 NYRA: Not Your Regular Athlete 46:39 The state of Australian gymnastics 49:41 The 2016 Rio test event 52:19 Advice for a gymnast who feels like quitting FOLLOW EMMA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejnedov/ Website: https://emmanedov.com WATCH AND READ Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gymnasticsville  Read the story: https://gymnasticsville.com/emma-nedov-gymnastics-comeback-paris-olympian/  SUBSCRIBE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gymnasticsville-podcast/id1236969576  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3EZvLhd543Iw0YlwlkhBds?si=kURxLtagT2S98aqLTYOQkA&utm_source=sms  FOLLOW GYMNASTICSVILLE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gymnasticsville/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gymnasticsvillehq  Newsletter and more: https://gymnasticsville.com 

Trevor Howard almost quit gymnastics after missing teams by one place, year after year. His mom told him something that changed everything. What followed was a career most gymnasts only dream about. On this episode of Back to Basics, Trevor sits down with Mubarak Simmons to share his full journey, from growing up in Columbus, Ohio to becoming a 7x All-American and NCAA National Champion at Penn State, to earning a spot on the 2019 World Championships team in Stuttgart alongside Sam Mikulak, Yul Moldauer, and Shane Wiskus. He opens up about the "iron sharpens iron" mindset that got him there, what it was like representing Team USA on the world stage, and how COVID derailed his Olympic path. Today, Trevor performs as a Tumble Monkey in Disney's Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom and runs ETHIICKS, his holistic wellness company built on everything gymnastics taught him. This conversation covers mindset, adversity, purpose, and what it really takes to reach the highest level. FOLLOW TREVOR HOWARD: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok: Coach Trevor Howard ETHIICKS: @ethiicks FOLLOW GYMNASTICSVILLE: Website: https://gymnasticsville.com  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gymnasticsville  TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gymnasticsvillehq  Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/gymcrewtalent  Facebook: https://facebook.com/gymnasticsville  WATCH THE FULL VIDEO EPISODE: YouTube: https://youtu.be/5drpDx-pRSc?si=lYtu0TflRY8jLZDM 

2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist Justin Spring returns to the GymnasticsVille Podcast. Now in his fifth season at Alabama Gymnastics and second as Associate Head Coach, Justin opens up about Alabama's preseason, the challenge of building championship culture in the modern era, what he learned calling the Paris Olympics live for NBC, the full-circle moment watching Team USA win bronze in Paris exactly like his own 2008 team, and why the mental game is the only thing that separates Olympic champions from everyone else. Topics covered: Alabama preseason and what Spring is building in 2027 Culture transformation and the microwave society athlete What Justin looks for when evaluating gymnasts The transition from men's to women's collegiate coaching How he landed the NBC Olympics broadcast gig Tim Daggett's three binders and the Paris prep story The Sasha Artemev story from Beijing 2008 team finals Sports psychology as a daily training requirement Why the mental game is the only X factor come postseason Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gymnasticsville-podcast/id1236969576 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3EZvLhd543Iw0YlwlkhBds?si=kURxLtagT2S98aqLTYOQkA&utm_source=sms Visit GymnasticsVille: https://gymnasticsville.com

Felecia Mulkey has won every national championship acrobatics & tumbling has ever held. She joins GymnasticsVille to talk about helping create the sport itself, building a dynasty at Baylor, and her mission to open more doors for women in college sports. Felecia Mulkey is a trailblazer. The head coach of Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling joins GymnasticsVille to discuss building a dynasty, creating a new NCAA sport, and why her mission is far bigger than championships. 00:00 – Introduction 01:14 – Felecia's journey from high school gymnast to collegiate pioneer 03:22 – Why "Acrobatics & Tumbling"? The strategic naming process 07:54 – Launching the Oregon program and winning the first championships 12:19 – Transitioning to Baylor and building a powerhouse 16:34 – Acrobatics & Tumbling is the only sport created at the collegiate level besides football 19:57 – Managing a championship culture and fighting complacency 22:42 – "This was never about winning." Felecia's mission to create opportunities for women 27:16 – The impact of A&T's elevation to NCAA championship sport status 29:28 – Felecia's advice for young gymnasts: "Stay in the sport" 32:08 – The gymnastics skills every A&T athlete needs 35:17 – Felecia's coaching philosophy: "This team has won nothing" 38:41 – What's next for Baylor and the future of the sport 41:22 – Conclusion Learn more about Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling: https://baylorbears.com/sports/acrobatics-tumbling Find every program that sponsors the sport: https://thencata.org/sports/2022/7/22/NCATA%20Member%20Institutions.aspx Follow GymnasticsVille: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gymnasticsville/ 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/gymnasticsville 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gymnasticsville