Whatever
Happened To...
An update on past news
Gymnastics club
finds a new home
in Mapunapuna
Question: Whatever happened to the Hawaiian Island Twisters gymnastics club, which was having to move from its current location?Answer: The elite Kaneohe gymnastics club has found a new home in Mapunapuna .
Gymnasts had worried the nonprofit Hawaiian Island Twisters would have to shut down for weeks or longer until a new place was found. But the club's board was able to extend its stay in Kaneohe from mid-October to the end of the month, and an available warehouse was found in time.
The gym has plans to open Nov. 1 in a warehouse behind 99 Ranch Market on 1155 Mapunapuna St. Rent at the club's new space is about $12,000, twice what the Island Twisters were paying in Kaneohe.
But the ceilings are higher, which means gymnasts will be able to perform more skilled acrobatics.
"It's going to be a more progressive gym," said Tani Rapp, a parent volunteer whose husband is the club's executive director and head girls' coach. "We're all pretty excited."
The Island Twisters have been circulating fliers about their new location in hopes of making up for the 100 students they expect to lose in the move to Mapunapuna.
More than 300 kids -- from elementary to high schoolers -- trained at the Kaneohe club, dubbed one of the best on the island.
Twister athletes boast several state, regional, national and international awards. The club's gymnasts have also been members of the Junior Olympic National Team and the Elite All-Star Team, and have gone on to accept gymnastic scholarships at Stanford University and Cal State Fullerton.
There are also evening classes for adults and morning sessions for toddlers and their parents.
There will be an exhibition and fund-raiser tomorrow in Kaneohe for gymnasts, their families and the public to celebrate the move to Mapunapuna and help raise money for the new gym. The event is set for 4 to 6 p.m. at the Island Twisters' gym, 46-174 Kahuhipa St.
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