Darion took over as the new owner of Prairie Gymnastics Club in January of 2018. Prior to that, he owned and operated Leaps & Bounds Mobile Gymnastics and Tumbling, LLC. Darion began participating in gymnastics at the age of three. During his gymnastics career, Darion won state and regional championships and was the IHSA floor champion in 1993. Darion was also a member of the regional team and the Junior National Developmental Team which allowed him to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Unfortunately, a serious injury to his shoulder ended his competitive gymnastics career. For over 20 years, he has coached all levels of gymnastics and has coached several gymnasts to state and national level competitions. Darion is a professional member of USA Gymnastics, the national governing body of gymnastics in the United States. He is also a certified USA Gymnastics National Judge as well as USAG safety certified. Darion is a member of the Illinois state coaching staff.
Jillian took over as the new owner of Prairie Gymnastics Club in January of 2018. Prior to that, she owned and operated Leaps & Bounds Mobile Gymnastics and Tumbling, LLC. In 2009, Jillian received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Aurora University. While obtaining her degree, Jillian counseled at risk children with the goal of teaching them important life skills and helping them develop positive self-esteem. She is also the director of operations for her non-profit organization, Flippin’ for Fitness. Outside of the gym, Jillian enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, Olivia.
Meagan has been with Prairie Gymnastics Club since March 2018. She spends most of her time in the classroom teaching 3rd grade, but enjoys being around children so much, she spends some of her free time at the front desk. She enjoys cooking, baking, and the outdoors. Meagan brings her organizational skills, patience, and multi-tasking to Prairie and enjoys greeting all the families that come in!
Suzie has been a receptionist at Prairie since 2014 and has one son on team. Her passion for students and people began at Illinois State University where she completed her Bachelors Degree in Education. She continued on in her educational venture and graduated from Olivet Nazerene University with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Instruction. When Suzie is not at the front desk, she can be found teaching students or spending time with her husband and three children.
Suzie holds a BA in Recreational Management from Northeastern University. Suzie has been a nationally ranked gymnast, state chairperson, choreographer and gymnastics official. She has directed and managed gymnastics programs at Avondale Park District (Chicago, IL 5 years), and Oak Park Gymnastics (Oak Park, IL 10 years).
Kaitlin started doing gymnastics when she was three and competed at Prairie Gymnastics Club for four years. She has been coaching recreational gymnastics for several years and is also the head coach for the Xcel Gold Team.
Heather has been participating in gymnastics as an athlete and coach for over 20 years. She began her career competing compulsory and optionals at Oswego Flipsters as a GIJO and USAG athlete. Following her time there, she competed varsity gymnastics for Oswego High School Co-Op Gymnastics. Heather has coached both recreational and team gymnastics in her career and came to Prairie Gymnastics Club in the summer of 2018 for an opportunity to grow and learn more about the sport she loves. Currently, Heather coaches recreational gymnastics and is the head coach of the GIJO 3 girls team. Her goal is to become a certified gymnastics judge and continue her love for gymnastics in all that she does.
Heather received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Aurora University and will earn a master’s degree in social work in the spring of 2019.
Devin has been coaching boy’s team since 2001 and at Prairie since it opened in 2008. He was a competitive gymnast in the USAG program in Michigan. He has had several state, regional, and national champions and has had several gymnasts continue competition at the NCAA level. Devin is also a member of the Region 5 Coaching Staff, training top-level gymnasts in our region which consists of 5 states. Devin graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in chemical and materials engineering and works for a local energy research company.
Kevin holds a BS in Education from the University of Illinois. From 1987 to 2005 Kevin was head coach and program director at Midwest Academy of Gymnastics in Warrenville, where he coached many State, Regional and National champions. A number of his students have gone on to NCAA competition, many with scholarships. Kevin is currently the Illinois Boys State Chair.
Dan has been a coach at Prairie Gymnastics Club since 2014. He started as a recreational coach and coached the GIJO boys team in 2016 & 2017 and also supported the JO Level 4-6 teams as an assistant coach. He competed in gymnastics in high school at Glenbard South in Wheaton as an all around competitor, earning all state honors on Floor, Parallel Bars and Vault. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he works full time in the Insurance industry. In addition, he has also coached Football in Glen Ellyn, IL. earning a state championship in 2002 and was an assistant coach on the Iowa Men’s Club Volleyball team in 1998. He has two kids, both of which are on the team at Prairie.
Debbie has been a coach at Prairie Gymnastics Club since its opening in 2008. She started as a recreational coach and now assists with coaching girls team groups with a focus on helping them build their strength. Her passion for gymnastics started when she was a toddler. She competed throughout her childhood in Pennsylvania and continued her gymnastics career at the University of Kentucky during her freshman year. Upon graduating college with a degree in nursing, Debbie became a pediatric rehabilitation nurse at RIC where she worked for 5 years before raising her two children. In addition to coaching, she is a certified personal trainer and enjoys helping people achieve their fitness goals.
Keeley has been a Junior Coach at Prairie since 2017 and is also on the Xcel Diamond gymnastics team. She assists with coaching preschool, recreational, and occasionally team gymnastics. Her goal is to make all gymnasts feel comfortable while they are in the gym because it brings a smile to her face when she sees them happy and having a good time.
Cheryl has been with Prairie since it opened and has taught Gym Kids, girls recreation and team dance workshops at Prairie. She has been the Treasurer of the PGC Team Booster Club from 2014-2018 and has coordinated staffing the Windy City Invitational since the gym opened in 2008. Cheryl began dancing and tumbling/gymnastics at the age of 3. Along the way, she taught preschool dance and gymnastics in Addison. Her dancing, acting and singing extended through college and into community theater after graduation. She holds a BS from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She has had two boys in the Prairie Team program, and two daughters as well. In her “spare” time, you can find her running her marketing research business, singing/playing flute in a contemporary Praise & Worship band, speaking on domestic violence and decorating cakes!
