Owner Dawn Goodwin shared how the Goodwin's Pella Gymnastics School gym began nearly 50 years ago as a labor of love started by her mom. “My mother opened this gymnastics school as a family business in 1976. Over the years we’ve had families travel from Chariton, Oskaloosa, Pleasantville, Knoxville, Newton, and other surrounding towns to join our Pella base and program” said Dawn.
What started as a small group quickly grew. First at the Pella Community Center gym, then to the Legion Building on the square, and eventually to its current home at 420 SE 14th St. in Pella. “My mom started Pella Gymnastics with a small little group. She didn’t know it would take off like it did. She thought it would just be something fun, but word spread and people wanted their kids to be part of the program,” Dawn shared.
Dawn’s mother, a former Central College professor for 25 years, eventually left academia to devote herself fully to the gymnastics school. And the program kept growing year after year. “Each year in operation, Pella Gymnastics kept getting busier and busier and grew and grew,” said Dawn.
Dawn practically grew up on the mats, beginning gymnastics at age three and coaching alongside her mom by the time she was 14. When her dad retired in 1996, he joined the family business too, handling behind-the-scenes tasks so Dawn’s mom could focus on coaching. “Dad would help with cleaning and the behind-the-scenes things so mom could focus on coaching,” Dawn laughed.
After losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2002, Dawn made the heartfelt decision to take over the business and carry on her mom’s legacy. “I made the decision to take over the business my mom worked so hard to build. It’s so much fun to be able to carry on her legacy”, Dawn said.
Today, Pella Gymnastics offers a variety of programs for all ages, from preschoolers to teens, including: Tumbling & trampoline, Morning and homeschool classes, Beginner, intermediate, and team levels, Private lessons, “Mommy and Me” classes for children under 3.
Classes help kids develop coordination, motor skills, and confidence through balance beam work, tumbling skills, and floor exercises. Dawn’s favorite part? “I really like working with the floor. It lets the kids enhance tumbling skills within their capabilities before moving to bars or more strength-based work.
”The program currently serves around 90 kids, with the help of several dedicated staff members including two high schoolers and a Central College student. “I can’t do it all by myself and accommodate so many kids,” said Dawn. “I’m grateful to have these staff members to provide the best program we can.
”The Pella Gymnastics competitive team participates annually in events like the Chows Winter Classic, Iowa State Fair Tumbling Meet, XCEL State Competition, and more in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and beyond. Dawn, who has also worked full-time at Vermeer for 19 years, still dedicates three evenings a week to the program. “I really enjoy being with the kids. We have fun, and it takes me back to my childhood and growing up in the business with my mom. I love that we get to keep making memories”, shared Dawn.
From one family’s passion to a community tradition, Pella Gymnastics continues to inspire strength, confidence, and joy in young athletes, one cartwheel at a time.