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Before a back injury ended her career at the age of 16, Heather Dubberke had won two all-around national gymnastics competitions sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and was also named the AAU’s outstanding athlete for Iowa. After working for the past few years as a gymnastics coach, Dubberke, 20, is now the program director of Mid Iowa Gymnastics, a new gymnastics facility in Grimes.

“Her goal always was to have her own gym,” said Dubberke’s mother, Gail Dubberke, who owns the business with partners Deb and Brian Petrak, whose two daughters, ages 10 and 3, are involved in gymnastics. The gym is also the first business venture for the Petraks; Brian is a financial analyst and Deb is a stay-at-home mom.

“Our whole gym philosophy is that we believe family is also important,” said Gail, who retired last year from a 35-year career in elementary-school teaching. “They also need time for family, and our families appreciate that.”

Located at 5460 S.W. Brookside Drive, Suite J, in Grimes, the 8,500-square-foot facility is set up to accommodate a wide range of gymnastics classes, from parent-tot classes for toddlers to preschool gymnastics classes and a recreational program for ages 5 and up. It also hosts an AmeriKids Club competitive team and offers open gyms, skills clinics and birthday parties.

“The demand is very great in the area,” Gail Dubberke said. “With all the recognition that Shawn (Johnson) got, many of the gyms are full in the Des Moines area.”

Input from parents was valuable, she said.

“One of the things that I think is unique to our gym is that we have very large viewing windows so that parents can watch if they like. And we have exceptional lighting. Parents like both of those aspects.”

Mid Iowa Gymnastics is the newest of 14 registered AmeriKids Club programs in Iowa.

Based in Papillion, Neb., AmeriKids organizes competitions nationwide; Gail Dubberke was involved in its development and serves on its national advisory committee. She and Heather are also AmeriKids judges.