Nanaimo Gymnastics School Staff
Head Coach
Tracy Welbourn
Tracy has been coaching for over 25 years and previously held roles as Preschool and Recreational Program Director at Nanaimo Gymnastics School. She is now Head Coach and Operations Manager. Contact:
General Manager
Cathleen Church
As General Manager of Nanaimo Gymnastics, Cathleen draws on deep experience in leadership and management roles across for-profit, non-profit, Provincial Sport and co-operative organizations.
Recreational Coordinator
Brianna Rapanos
Brianna has been working at NGS since 2015. She was a competitive gymnast through high school. Brianna is determined to make the gym and her classes a positive and welcoming place for everybody to have fun, learn new skills, and be active!
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Competitive Coach
Anna Mataganova
Anna has experience at every level of gymnastics. She was a member of the USSR national team and trained the national team of Kazakhstan. For more than a decade, Anna has been a course conductor and judging chairperson on Vancouver Island. She is a choreographer, high performance national judge, and course evaluator.
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Competitive Coach
Trevor Nagy
Trevor is a Nanaimo-born former Canadian national gymnast and has been coaching for more than twenty years. Trevor is a devoted husband and father. His philosophy: "The cake tastes better if the baking process is fun."
Preschool Coach
Keli Crowe
Keli owned and operated a Children's Daycare with involvement in the B.C. Foster-Parent and Respite Care programs for children and young adults with special needs. She later pursued a coaching career and continues her work with Nanaimo Gymnastics School as our Preschool coach.
Office Coordinator
Tylar Rose
Tylar trained and worked at Aerial Gymnastics in Spruce Grove, AB as a Recreational and Play School Coach. Drawing on her Inuit heritage, Tylar is passionate about creating an inclusive and welcoming experience for our community.
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Assistant Recreational Co-ordinator
Katrina Penner-Loat
Katrina, or Kit, has more than 15 years of experience as a competitive athlete and coach. They were also on the 2019 Gymnaestrada team and got the opportunity to represent Canada. Kit is a level 2 competitive coach, as well as a recreational evaluator.
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Coach
Tihanna Wright
Tihanna joined gymnastics when she was five years old and was a part of the Recreational, Pre-Competitive, and Interclub Programs before becoming a Competitive Gymnast in 2016.
Coach
Marina McDonald
Marina is passionate about improving accessibility and creating an engaging and structured environment. She coaches Preschool, Recreational, Adaptive, and Competitive. Marina is also the Administrative Assistant and previously served as the Event Coordinator for Island Time 2026.
Coach
Junior Coaches
Our junior coaches are an integral part of our team. They bring their passion, energy and enthusiasm to every class. Our athletes find inspiration in their junior coaches leadership.
Coaches in Training
CIT's
Our junior coaches are an integral part of our team. They bring their passion, energy and enthusiasm to every class. Our athletes find inspiration in their junior coaches leadership.
Board of Directors
The Nanaimo Gymnastics Board is comprised of dedicated volunteers with diverse backgrounds, elected annually at the AGM. They oversee the club's strategic direction, ensuring prudent financial management, ethical governance, and resource allocation, thereby enabling the staff to effectively carry out their daily operations in alignment with the club's mission. Email the board of directors: ngs.bod@gmail.com
President
Darya Fisher
Darya previously served as the Fundraising Committee Chair and Treasurer with NGS. Darya is delighted to serve the Nanaimo Gymnastics community and watch the organization thrive.
Vice-President
Mandy Fudge
Mandy is committed to supporting a strong and positive environment where athletes, coaches, and staff thrive. She brings a long-standing connection to NGS and supports the club's growth.
Treasurer
Now Accepting Nominations
Nanaimo Gymnastics is now accepting nominations for the role of Treasurer, to be elected by the membership at our next Annual General Meeting September 2026
Secretary
Paula Shoemaker
Paula was lucky to grow up here on Vancouver Island but pursued her education at UBC and the University of Alberta achieving a Master’s degree in Science (exercise physiology) and a Master's in Physical Therapy. She has practiced as a Physiotherapist in the private sector for the past 15 years, taught as a sessional instructor at UBC, and has also mentored many students.
Member at Large
Tiffany Burgess
Tiffany’s passion for gymnastics began at a young age. She trained in the competitive program at NGS for eight years. She is honoured to support the athletes, coaches, and programs.
Member at Large
Now Accepting Nominations
Nanaimo Gymnastics is now accepting nominations for the role of Member at Large, to be elected at the upcoming Annual General Meeting in September 2026.
Member at Large
Kate Iannidinardo
Kate believes in the importance of fostering a positive and encouraging training environment where athletes can excel and coaches feel supported. Kate had the pleasure of serving on the board last year and would be honored to serve again this year.
Now Recruiting for 2026-27
Committees at NGS
Committees at NGS are a vital part of our operations. They include Finance, Building, Fundraising and Special Events. Please reach out to the office if you would be interested in serving on any of these volunteer groups.
Careers
Gymnastics Coach
If you are a motivated coach that is committed to coaching and teaching children, we want to hear from you. Our community is growing: come grow with us!​
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Position: Gymnastics Coach
Reports To: Head Coach
Type of Position: Full-time 30 - 40 hours a week
(or Part-time 20 hours a week)
Wages Range: Compensation based on experience
Application Close: Ongoing
For more information or to apply:
Please email tracy@nanaimogymnastics.ca with your Resume and Cover Letter to the attention of Tracy Welbourn, Club Head Coach, Nanaimo Gymnastics School.​
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Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted directly.
Fundraisers & Events
Sponsorship
Partner with Nanaimo Gymnastics School
We are so grateful for what our sponsors have helped us accomplish over the years: from new equipment to sending our athletes to compete internationally. We are immensely thankful to our past, present and future sponsors.
We look forward to partnering with you. For more information, please contact Cathleen at generalmanager@nanaimogymnastics.ca or stop by the office for a chat.
Nanaimo Gymnastics School is a not-for-profit society dedicated to being the heart of the Vancouver Island Gymnastics community, where athletes thrive on and off the mat.
Our expert coaching and strong community help athletes of all abilities build confidence, character and connection.
Sponsors
The Lindsay Family
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September 8-13, 2026
Cash out gently used suits and stock up! We collect suits throughout August for commission stock. This year with fresh Gymgear and Rising Stars!​
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November 1-18, 2026
*currently seeking donations of products or services - would your business like to participate as an NGS Sponsor Winter 2026? Contact Us!
Race to Recycle! Return bottles & credit the funds to the NGS account. Bring the receipt to the office and apply 100% of the donation to your fundraising account. The top bottle returns each month September-June 2026-27 wins a prize!
You are invited... to join the hunt for the lost eggs at the artist's garden.
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March 26th 2027
June 4-6, 2027
We look forward to welcoming you to "Island Time 2027", a youth women's artistic gymnastics competition hosted annually by NGS in Nanaimo.
June 13, 2027
We look forward to welcoming you to "Island Time 2027", a youth women's artistic gymnastics competition hosted annually by NGS in Nanaimo.
Funding Assistance
KidSport
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KidSport is a community-based sport-funding program that provides grants for children 18 and under to participate in a sport season of their choice. There are 40 community chapters in BC and over 175 chapters across Canada.With the help from dedicated corporate partners, KidSport works to fulfill its mission of eliminating the financial barriers to sport participation, ‘So ALL Kids Can Play!’
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https://kidsportcanada.ca/
Jumpstart
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Jumpstart helps kids between the ages of 4 to 18 by assisting with the costs associated with registration, equipment and/or transportation for sports and physical activity programming.Applications for assistance can typically be submitted from January 15 to November 1, (varies by chapter) with the goal to be equitably distributed over Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter activities. The funding is distributed with a focus on maximizing the cost and length of participation per activity per child.
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https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/
Athletics For Kids (A4K)
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A4K’s overarching goal is to be there to assist any B.C. child in their dream of playing amateur sports. In other words, we want all kids to have the opportunity to play.The support of A4K is available province-wide for children ages 5 to 18 who are currently enrolled in school. Basic registration fees are paid for a multitude of approved sports, up to an annual maximum of $600 per child.
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https://www.a4k.ca/
Policies
Policies & Procedures
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Board of Directors Governance and Policy Manual (Updated 13 December 2023)
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Financial Policy and Procedure Manual (Updated 13 March 2024)
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Fundraising Policy and Procedure Manual (Updated 13 November 2024)
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Operations Policy and Procedure Manual (Updated 13 December 2023)
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HR Policy and Procedure Manual (Updated March 2025)
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NGS is governed by and complies with GymBC's Safe Sport Policy
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Measures to support accessibility and inclusivity
Nanaimo Gymnastics School takes the following measures to ensure the accessibility of Nanaimo Gymnastics:
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Include inclusivity as part of our values statement (Revised May 2025).
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Include inclusivity throughout our internal policies.
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Provide continual accessibility training for our staff.
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Assign clear accessibility goals and responsibilities.
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Employ formal accessibility quality assurance methods.
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Are pleased to present adaptive programming per the sport for life guidelines
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Conformance status
Nanaimo Gymnastics Website is fully conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA.
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Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of the Nanaimo Gymnastics Website. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers:
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Phone: 250-740-0330
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E-mail: info@nanaimogymnastics.ca
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Address: 2980 Island Hwy N unit 400, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5V4 & 1911 Wilfert Road, Nanaimo, BC V9S 3H6
We try to respond to feedback within 2 business days.
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Date
This statement was created on 27 May 2025