PUBLISHED JULY7 , 2016
American Ninja athlete opens new gym in Ruskin
By LISA STARK
Her motto is “Work Hard” and that’s exactly what 34-year-old Mary Beth Wang has been doing for the past three years. In addition to being a mother of two boys, Wang has also been competing on the American Ninja Warrior competition on NBC and running her own business, clear evidence that she practices what she preaches.
Wang’s most recent accomplishment was acquiring a new location for her growing business, Jubilee Gymnastics, which she plans to open in the Thriftway Plaza in Ruskin. The Grand Opening Block Party is set for Saturday, July 9, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., and will include kids’ activities, a bounce house, BBQ pulled-pork sandwiches, Kona Ice snow cones, games, a photo booth and goodies for sale.
“We have been working hard getting the gym ready for the past month and can’t wait to show off our new space,” said Wang, who hints that you might even encounter a Ninja obstacle course while touring the new facility.
Wang became famous as one of the first American female athletes to successfully compete on the popular NBC show American Ninja Warrior. The mother of two boys, Evan, 5, and Noah, 4, she was dubbed “Ninja Mom” on the show.
Currently in its eighth season, American Ninja Warrior features hundreds of competitors attempting to complete a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty in an effort to make it to the national finals in Las Vegas. Wang was given a Wildcard to compete in the Las Vegas finals for Season 7, one of only a handful of women to make it to that landmark. To date, only two competitors, Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten, have conquered the course and achieved “Total Victory.” Caldiero is the only competitor to win the cash grand prize of $1,000,000.
Wang’s next competition is July 15 through 17 in Atlanta, for the Team Battle hosted by two ninja gyms. She then goes to the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association League Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 6.
Asked how she finds time for such grueling competition, raising a family and opening up a new gym, she said: “I couldn’t do it without my husband, Chen. He is a great partner in every way — mechanical, engineering, building — you name it.” Chen also supports his wife by taking professional photography at her competitive events.
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Wang was chosen from more than 250 eligible entries as one of the 2016 American Small Business Champions sponsored by Sam’s Club and SCORE. The Champions win a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, expense-paid attendance at a regional Celebration and Symposium, SCORE mentoring for one year and significant national publicity.
The Grand Champion will be announced on September 15 at a gala in Washington, D.C. and the winner will be awarded $25,000 to put toward building their business. “Winning the grand prize would take us a long way toward achieving our dreams in business,” said Wang.
Jubilee Gymnastics has a clear emphasis on the joy of movement. The program is designed for children ages 18 months to 18 years old. “Our goal is to encourage whole-body exercise, develop strength, flexibility and coordination and most of all have lots of fun.” said Wang. Classes are structured for physical exercise while teaching kids to socialize with one another. The program is designed to follow a progression of age-appropriate skills and techniques and includes “circle time” for more focused gymnastic instruction.
Jubilee Gymnastics also offers summer camps with themes including “Stars and Stripes” (ages 4 to 8 years); “All Around the World” (ages 4 to 8 years); “Girls Only” (ages 5 and up); and “Ninja Warriors” (ages 4 to 12 years). Details about the camps can be found at jubileegym.com, or on their Facebook page, facebook.com/JubileeGym.
Jubilee Gymnastics will be opening its new location at 89 7th Ave. N.E. in Ruskin (near the Ruskin post office). The grand opening celebration will be held Saturday, July 9, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and is open to the public. For more information, visit jubileegymnastics.com, or call 813-863-1168.