🏅 Our History
St. Andrews Gymnastics has been part of the community for over 40 years. The program began with local volunteers who wanted to bring gymnastics closer to home, without requiring families to travel into Winnipeg.
When the founding organizers stepped back, long-time community members Linda McPherson and Brenda Funk took on the enormous task of running and sustaining the club. For decades, they managed everything — registrations, schedules, equipment hauling, competitions, and fundraising — keeping the program alive through changing times.
Their dedication built the foundation we stand on today:
community-focused, volunteer-supported, and athlete-centered.
In recent years, the club has shifted to new leadership who continue to honour that legacy while modernizing our structure, safety practices, and programming to meet today’s standards.
🏗️ Growth, Fundraising & Our Storage Shed Story
For many years, our equipment was stored inside the school where we operate. When that space was no longer available, our club suddenly faced a major challenge: we had nowhere to keep our equipment.
Instead of stepping back, our community stepped up.
Through fundraising, grant applications, and hours of volunteer labour, our members built a dedicated equipment shed — a project made possible by hardworking board members, parent volunteers, and the guidance and commitment of Linda and Brenda.
Today, our program continues thanks to this collective effort. Even with the added challenge of transporting equipment to and from the school — sometimes through snow and freezing temperatures — our volunteers and coaches show up with dedication and teamwork every week.
💫 Our Community Spirit
St. Andrews Gymnastics Club is more than a program — it’s a community effort.
Every mat rolled out, every fundraiser organized, and every high-five shared reflects the belief that sport can build confidence, resilience, and belonging.
We’re proud of our history, grateful for the leaders who built this club, and excited for the next generation of gymnasts who will learn, grow, and shine here.
Our club may be small, but our spirit is strong — and together, we build something special every time we roll out the mats.
💙We Are a Community-Based Club with Big-Club Heart
St. Andrews Gymnastics Club is a volunteer-driven, rural community program based in St. Andrews, Manitoba, Canada.
While we may not have the dedicated facilities, time, or resources of larger urban clubs, we pride ourselves on delivering the same level of care, skill development, and athletic excellence — with teamwork, resilience, and community spirit at the heart of everything we do.
Our mission is simple:
To inspire confidence, discipline, and joy through gymnastics, while keeping the sport affordable and accessible for local families.
🤸♀️ Set-Up & Tear-Down: How We Build a Gym Every Time
Unlike clubs with permanent facilities, we build our gym from the ground up each class.
Before every session, our coaches work together to transform an empty school gym into a full gymnastics facility, moving:
-
Floor mats and carpet rolls
-
Beams, bars, and vault equipment
-
Springboards, runways, and spotting blocks
-
Wedges, trampettes, sliders, and training aids
At the end of each evening, everything is rolled, stacked, and loaded back into the shed. Winter nights mean shoveling paths through the snow, moving cold mats, and working in challenging conditions — but we do it because we believe in the importance of keeping local gymnastics alive.
This process teaches our athletes the value of effort, respect for equipment, and appreciation for the community that makes their sport possible.