Sean C. Morgan
Sarah Shamek and Tiffany Lynn are aiming to take Sweet Home youth sports to the next level with a new gym, the Elite Performance Academy, they have founded which focuses on student athletics.
The purpose of the gym, located in the former Woodworkers Union Hall, at 933B Main St., is to “develop each child’s skills to his or her full potential,” said Shamek and Lynn.
“We will focus on their skill development along with providing athletes the opportunity to increase strength through conditioning, speed and agility and plyometric training specifically built around the athlete’s specific sport. We want to provide our youth an opportunity to increase and improve their skills so they are better-equipped for junior high and high school.”
It offers tumbling, cheerleading, gymnastics, dance group, fitness for adults, kids’ fitness classes and sports-specific skill-building classes.
Lynn has been a competitive gymnastics coach for 14 years at the national, regional and state level in Oregon and Washington and has been a group fitness instructor and personal trainer since 2000.
Lynn was Oregon State Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1997. She was a national, regional and state champion gymnast from 1992 to 2006. She played volleyball at Western Baptist College (now Corban University). She played volleyball, basketball and track in high school.
Lynn had been operating a gymnastics academy out of Steelhead Strength and Fitness for several years and was running out of space She credited Steelhead Strength and Fitness and its owners, Dave and Vicki Bauer, Dave and Desi Barringer and Ivan Vandehei, for the opportunity to get gymnastics going in Sweet Home, she said.
“We were growing there. They were growing.”
With obesity rates among children at an all-time high “we wanted to really focus on kids, all-around fitness,” Lynn said.
Shamek, who captains the Valley Girls Hood to Coast women’s relay team, has been a group fitness instructor and personal trainer since 2000. She taught group fitness at various locations in Sweet Home and Portland. She is team captain for the Valley Girls running team. She played water polo and swam all four years of high school.
“I did the personal training out of my house,” Shamek said. “And I actually grew. (Lynn) told me she was going to start this, and I told her I wanted in.”
They partnered on March 1 and went to work on the interior of their new home with the help of their husbands, Robert Shamek and Jeff Lynn. Retired educators Mike and Debbie Aman volunteered throughout the next month as well. They were finished with the work and open on April 4.
The dramatic interior transformation of the building reflects the gym’s philosophy, Lynn said. “There’s a reason we’re called Elite Performance Academy. We wanted it done right the first time, not just in the performance but in everything.”
The building, owned by Brad Newport, will receive an exterior makeover when the weather improves, Lynn said. It will incorporate accents in interior colors, red and black.
They had to remove the drop ceiling throughout most of the building, paint and install new flooring, lights and equipment, Lynn said. “There was a lot to do.”
The old galley kitchen has been opened up to provide a viewing area for parents.
The program itself is focused on children.
“The whole concept was basically to help our high school programs with a top-notch level of training,” Lynn said. The gym provides professional, experienced coaches.
“What we’re doing is teaching the skills,” Shamek said.
“Giving them the tools to go out and feel confident,” Lynn said.
The things they’re teaching have helped Shamek’s son Egan, a seventh-grader, with his wrestling, running and athletics.
“It’s strength, speed, flexibility, hand-eye coordination,” Lynn said. It’s a basic, strong, fundamentally sound program.”
And Egan is much further ahead because of it, Lynn said.
It’s a multi-functional facility for training in all aspects of sports, Lynn said. “We want the high school coaches to see their programs excel in all areas.”
It’s not designed to create super athletes but rather to give the youths the confidence and physical fitness that comes with having the skills they need to compete in their sports.
They’re a little different from other gyms, Shamek said. “We don’t have it where people can come in and use the equipment. I specialize in group fitness, group fitness that is personalized.”
Along with Shamek, the group holds its members accountable, Lynn said.
Shamek and Lynn have similar backgrounds, with an emphasis on fitness. They moved to Sweet Home about the same time, Shamek from the Portland area and Lynn from the Vancouver, Wash., area. They were doing the same thing, and they both respected and trained with each other.
“I had her train me for the Police Academy,” said Lynn, who was a state trooper.
They both emphasize a tough work ethic. Painted on the walls are motivational sayings, “Pain is weakness leaving the body,” and “If you’re not sweating, you’re doing it wrong.”
Elite Performance Academy can be contacted at (541) 367-2120.