Stephanie Kemp

Stephanie Kemp (Staff photo by Ken Ritchie)

Stephanie Kemp was competitive in gymnastics for 11 years. She took home several state titles and even qualified for national competitions. But she said her accomplishments off the mat as a coach and as a role model better define her.

“My accomplishments are what I’ve done with the kids,” she said. “My goal is to first get them through high school and have a healthy respect for their bodies, and then, if they’re at the right level, to get a college scholarship.”

Kemp, 41, operates Madison Gymnastics World and spends countless hours every week mentoring and coaching children and teenagers. The business was started by her father, Paul, in 1980, and the family built the facility on Scott Court in 2000. About 150 to 200 children are at the facility each week.

“They know our motto is, ‘You may or may not be a good gymnast, but you will be a good person,’” Kemp said. “I want them to treat their elders with respect. And I want them to respect their bodies and not do some of the stupid things teenagers sometimes get caught doing.”

Most of the dedicated girls she coaches spend 15 to 20 hours in the gym each week year round. Over the years, the gym has produced three collegiate athletes, including two who attended Ivy League schools, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.

Kemp said as much as she cares about creating well-rounded gymnasts, she cares even more about seeing her students thriving in school. It’s a requirement for her students to show her their report cards.

“They know they have to keep their grades up,” Kemp said. “It’s not an option to work out 20 hours a week and use that as an excuse to get a C.”

In addition to making sure her students hit the books, Kemp said she is there to talk with the girls about things they might be uncomfortable telling their parents. And she uses her own experiences as a way to relate.

“I would say that I try to be a role model. But I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination,” she said.

In the future, Kemp said she would like to see someone in her family take over the business – she has a son and two stepsons. But she doesn’t plan on giving over the reins any time soon.

“I’ll probably end up like my dad. Being 72 and still hanging around at the gym,” she joked. “I’ve been in a gym 20 to 40 hours a week since I was 8 years old, so obviously I love it or I would have found something else to do.”

Courtesy of the Madison Courier

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