Wendy Hilliard Creating Great Gymnasts And Good Citizens In Harlem

HARLEM, NY – Think gymnastics is out of reach? Think again. Just down the block at the Harlem Armory, the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation has been introducing city kids to the sport for more than 25 years.

“I want to create great gymnasts, but what I really want to create are good citizens,” said Hilliard, a USA Gymnastics Hall of Famer who was the first black athlete to represent the United States in international competition in rhythmic gymnastics when she was named to the team in 1978.

“We provide affordable, quality gymnastics in urban areas, and if the kids are talented enough, we support them,” Hilliard said.

Those talented kids include locals like Harlem’s ZaQuae Carter, B.J. Mensah, and Aries Wickham, who have competed in gymnastics at the international level, as well as alumni like Niahlah Hope, a Hollywood stunt double, and Olivia Boisson, a professional dancer with the New York City Ballet.

“We make the classes as inexpensive as possible,” Hilliard emphasized, “but we do quality gymnastics.”

Detroit Roots

Although Hilliard calls Harlem home today, she described herself as “mid-coastal,” and splits her time between New York City and Detroit, where she was raised. It was in Detroit that Hilliard trained under Olympic-level coaches Vladimir and Zina Mironov, who fled the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

“I learned in the rec department,” Hilliard explained, recalling how her mother convinced Leon Atchison, then director of Detroit Parks and Recreation, to hire the Mironovs, whose employment made serious gymnastics instruction accessible to Detroit kids like herself.

“It didn’t cost us anything, and we learned high-level gymnastics,” Hilliard said. “My teammates were national champions, and my girlfriend made two Olympic teams. We were very well-trained, and the coaches were paid by the city,” she recalled.

Foundational

For Hilliard, gymnastics is about much more than athletic training.

“Most of my kids who come to my program will go on to another sport, and they’ll use gymnastics as a training method, kind of like studying classical music – you have to do it so specifically, you have to do things really well, you’ve got to pay attention to the details. It’s a base sport that all kids should learn, and we’re teaching them skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.”

The sport also requires commitment from parents.

“We can’t yell at the kid who’s coming in late if they’re coming with their parents,” Hilliard laughed. “I think parents appreciate our structure. They know they’re coming to a program that’s been around for 25 years and has served thousands of kids – that’s part of our quality. The kids have to be on time, which means you’ve got to be on time, and you’ve got to make sure they have what they need.”

‘An HBCU For Gymnastics’

Hilliard was as excited as anyone to see Simone Biles at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

“I was over in Paris watching Simone, and everyone should be excited to see somebody like that, to see her mastery,” Hilliard said. “But when I watch Simone, I’m more impressed by how her mind works. Her head is calculating exactly where her body needs to be, all in 1.some seconds.”

Biles, who Hilliard named as a supporter of her foundation, is also symbolic of where the sport is today.

“We’ve seen a lot of top athletes who are black, but at the grassroots, it’s still not very diverse,” Hilliard explained. “[My program], I call it an HBCU for gymnastics. Everybody at the gym looks like the kids we serve – African American, Hispanic – and I think the kids really enjoy being in that environment.”

One of the highlights of the year is the Harlem Gymnastics Invitational, a three-day competition held at the Harlem Armory in February. Athletes from across the United States compete in a variety of events at the invitational, and the competition is free and open to the community, providing gymnasts an opportunity to showcase their skills at their home gym – and inspire the next generation.

What’s Next?

“We need space, we need a gymnastics center where we can be 6-7 days a week,” Hilliard said. “We also need financial support. We have no shortage of kids who need support. It’s not the easiest thing, but I’m committed to doing it. Our goal is to be able to offer more, to do more. It takes time.”

Hilliard is incredibly proud of what the foundation has already achieved.

“We have a community. I have fabulous coaches and a fabulous staff,” she said. “A third of my teachers are former students.”

Will we one day see an Olympian who began their journey with the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation?

“It’s possible,” Hilliard said. “You go for the top, and you may not get an Olympian, but you’re going to get a fabulous young person.”

Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation’s fall semester begins on Sept. 30, and classes take place at the Harlem Armory, located at 2366 Fifth Avenue between 142nd and 143rd Street.

Programs are offered for kids ages 3 to 17, and a weekly beginner course for young children costs $638, including a $50 annual registration fee, or just under $50 per class. Scholarships are available to ensure financial barriers don’t prevent participation.

More details are available here.