Swinging on bars, flipping incredibly high in the air, and balancing on a very narrow four inch wide high beam. This is just the beginning of what Tyra Lum can do.

Tyra is a 14 year old gymnast from Lihue who trains at Kauai Gymnastics Academy (KGA). Tyra has been doing gymnastics for ten years at KGA, and is very talented. She loves the sport and is also a cheerleader at Kauai High School.

“Gymnastics is so great because, not only is it fun to do, but I love all the girls on my team, We always have so much fun at practices and exhibitions,” Tyra said.

Tyra is not a competitive gymnast though. “The gym we train at is so small, it is the only one on the island, and doesn’t have a vault. So if we did compete we’d have no idea what we were doing on vault,” Tyra laughed.

“Every year though, we have this thing called a mock meet, which is like a fake gymnastics meet within our team, It has the same competition rules and we get awards and trophies,” Tyra said.

The Kauai Gymnastics Academy is located in Puhi in the industrial park in a small warehouse. “We have one set of uneven bars, one high beam, and a small tumbling track, which isn’t a lot for a gym. Most gyms on the mainland have big square tumbling f1oors that are spring loaded. Our f1oor is spring loaded, but it’s really tiny.”

There are danger in gymnastics for sure, especially in higher level gymnastics like Tyra does.

“One time I was going from the low bar to the high bar on uneven bars and I slipped and fell on the f1oor on my back. It didn’t hurt but it was scary. That happens a lot. I did break my toe once on beam though. I was doing a back handspring and it broke. It was really painful.”

For most girls in gymnastics, uneven bars is their favorite event and beam is their least favorite. “Bars is definitely my favorite event, and I really hate beam because I fall too much and it’s too nerve racking,” she said with a giggle.

The Kauai Gymnastics Academy used to be owned by Lisa Fairchild and Willie Washington, but was taken over by Jack and Kay Leonard in 2005.

“Of course I miss Lisa and Willie. They coached me since I was little and they taught me all I know. Ms. Lisa comes back to visit a lot though, and it’s always really nice to see her again. She comes with her son Jimmy and watches us all practice,” Tyra said.