Club Gadbois rises from ashes to glory

In 2002, the club was devastated by a fire that consumed the entire third floor of the Atwater Market building. Left without equipment and a home, the club set up temporary headquarters above an old fire house in St Henri. These facilities were considered inadequate by most members and the gym began a downward spiral. There were long delays in returning to the Atwater Market, the club lost many members and was on the verge of closing.

As a result, many Westmount families lost their patience and found other gymnastics clubs for their children.

A new management team led by club president Emmanuelle Sauvé, Maude Loignon, and Chantal Leclerc took over during this period, and they dedicated countless volunteer hours to getting the club back on stable ground. Club Gadbois has returned to prominence this past year, with a significant rise in membership which gives it the revenue necessary to upgrade its trainers and hire staff to manage the club day to day.

With its current resources and trainers led by Michel Repussard, the club has all the tools to take a child from a recreational toddler program to a gymnast competing on a national level. Many gymnasts train at the club from six to 20 hours per week. Repussard’s passion and personable approach is evident in all the trainers.

“He gives children a real sense of belonging," says Anne Lavigueur, the club's secretary treasurer and mother of three young gymnasts. "Gadbois is a very unique environment — almost a community in itself."

An impressive show of local talent

On the weekend of Feb. 2 and 3, Club Gadbois hosted a regional gymnastics meet that attracted eight clubs featuring competitive gymnasts ages 6 and older. Gadbois’s gymnasts led the pack in the CR3 levels, winning the top spots in all three age categories.

Among the winners was Westmount’s Michelle Wiseman, who won the CR3 Novice (ages 13-14). Marie Gabrielle Lafleur won the CR3 Tyro (ages 11-12), and Arianna Galbraith won the CR3 Argo (ages 9-10). On the previous day, four children passed their Defi 2 — among them Westmounters Gabrielle Boulanger and Genevieve Gagnon.

Other Gadbois CR3 medal winners were Kerkeslin Keillor, Mousseline Pigeon, Fabiola Monty, Aida-Maria Messier, and Anais Fernandez Delattre, who finished third overall and won two apparatuses.

Club Gymnastique Gadbois, a non-profit organization that has existed for 31 years, offers many levels of gymnastics and caters to beginners of all ages. This past January, the club added a boys program. Gadbois’s vision is to build strong gymnasts from the ground up by having the best available recreational programs for pre-schoolers and young children.

One of the most popular programs at Gadbois is the recreational summer camp, a fun experience open to all children regardless of experience. For more information, visit the club's website at www.gymgadbois.com.