The peak just keeps getting higher at the Mountain Magic Invitational.
The 2024 iteration of the MMI, the May 1-5 competition hosted by Mountain Shadows Gymnastics Club at the Okotoks Recreation Centre, is set to be a record-setting event with 1,100 athletes tumbling into the community this week.
“It’s the largest women’s gymnastics event in Alberta history,” said Jamie Walsh, MMI chair.
The MMI has added an extra day of competition, upping the total to five, to accommodate for the addition of the trials to nationals component, which will run with 1:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. sessions on Saturday, May 4.
The MMI is the third of three trials for nationals on the calendar for the top athletes in the province.
Brooke Spurway, fresh off a gold and silver medal at last weekend’s Western Canadian Championships, will be looking to qualify for nationals at the last-chance trials event.
Spurway, who’s bound for North Carolina this fall with an acrobatics and tumbling scholarship to the Wingate University Bulldogs, said the MMI competition is always special.
“Not a lot of small towns have huge meets like this,” she said. “MMI has always been a huge meet in the gymnastics community, Mr. M (Jim McLuskey) has put a lot of work into the little things and no one else in Alberta do a team comp at their event.
“All of the coaches and especially the parents put so much work into organizing MMI.”
The numbers add up to about 2,500 volunteer hours combined from the club’s organizers, approximately 50 families along with help from each of the 47 athletes from the club.
The event is put on by the Mountain Shadows Athletic Association, a non-profit parent association supporting pre-competitive and competitive Mountain Shadows gymnasts.
“We have volunteer shifts that are applicable for kids,” Walsh said. “And so all of the athletes feel that they’re able to contribute by volunteering as well.
“It really is an all families on deck event.”
Mountain Shadows athletes Haven Luu, Sarah Scott, Emily Prokopetz and Floria Lim spoke about their experiences with the annual showcase event.
“I’m really excited,” Prokopetz said. “I just think of it is a really big competition to me and that I need to do good because it’s the best one.”
“MMI was my first competition and I got all around third,” Lim said.
Weekend passes for adults cost $25, it’s $20 for seniors and children. Daily passes are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and children and are free for children five-and-under. All profits from MMI go directly to the gymnasts.
For more information, go to mountainshadowsgymclub.com.
