Our History
The first High Flyers gym was opened in Brighton in 1987 by a group including Nancy Hanes and Nancy Gregory, two teachers with a decade of experience coaching tumbling and gymnastics. Named the High Flyers Educational Gymnastic Center, it was the first full USA Gymnastics facility in Livingston County.
The gym’s beginnings were actually 15 years earlier, in 1972, when Ms. Hanes began an intramural program for fifth grade boys and girls at Davisburg Elementary School (part of Holly Area Schools). The group became known as the “Davisburg Tumblers,” and put on a school show with students performing the forward roll, backward roll, bridge, cartwheel, and handstand. In 1977, the group changed its name to High Flyers because they did a lot of dive rolls.
The name High Flyers continues to this day. The word “educational” in the name was no accident, because as teachers, the two Nancys had spent their careers educating kids. As students developed a solid background in gymnastics, they were also empowered to lead a healthy life.
High Flyers soon gained a reputation as a premier gym that produced medal-winning gymnasts, year after year. Its gymnasts attended the National Physical Education Convention each year, traveled to Spain in 1984 and to the Dominican Republic in 1986.
In 2012, High Flyers celebrated the Summer Olympics with a “Tumbling to London” program. Gymnasts counted the miles they ran, walked or bicycled to equal the 3,761-mile journey from Brighton, Michigan, to London, England.
The year 2015 brought big changes: Ms. Hanes retired, the gym moved to a huge new facility, and changed its name to High Flyers Sports Arena. The gym is now co-owned by Nancy Gregory and Wyatt Gregory, who grew up and trained at High Flyers, was part of the state champion Hartland High School Men’s Team and part of Western Michigan National Independence Championship gymnastics team.
The gym’s beginnings were actually 15 years earlier, in 1972, when Ms. Hanes began an intramural program for fifth grade boys and girls at Davisburg Elementary School (part of Holly Area Schools). The group became known as the “Davisburg Tumblers,” and put on a school show with students performing the forward roll, backward roll, bridge, cartwheel, and handstand. In 1977, the group changed its name to High Flyers because they did a lot of dive rolls.
The name High Flyers continues to this day. The word “educational” in the name was no accident, because as teachers, the two Nancys had spent their careers educating kids. As students developed a solid background in gymnastics, they were also empowered to lead a healthy life.
High Flyers soon gained a reputation as a premier gym that produced medal-winning gymnasts, year after year. Its gymnasts attended the National Physical Education Convention each year, traveled to Spain in 1984 and to the Dominican Republic in 1986.
In 2012, High Flyers celebrated the Summer Olympics with a “Tumbling to London” program. Gymnasts counted the miles they ran, walked or bicycled to equal the 3,761-mile journey from Brighton, Michigan, to London, England.
The year 2015 brought big changes: Ms. Hanes retired, the gym moved to a huge new facility, and changed its name to High Flyers Sports Arena. The gym is now co-owned by Nancy Gregory and Wyatt Gregory, who grew up and trained at High Flyers, was part of the state champion Hartland High School Men’s Team and part of Western Michigan National Independence Championship gymnastics team.