Olympic Gymnast Samantha Peszek Will Run Camp At Oswego Studio

OSWEGO, IL — Beam Queen Bootcamp, a two-day traveling gymnastics event helmed by Olympic gymnast Samantha Peszek, is heading to Oswego Sept. 11. Ahead of the two-day event, the team at Premier Gymnastics Academy West is "thrilled."

Diane O'Brien, head coach at the gymnastics studio, told Patch that ahead of this weekend's event that the kids attending — not only from Premier West but other nearby studios — are ecstatic, counting down the days and making sure they're buying the right leotards.

With a focus on the balance beam, the goal of Peszek's camp is to "empower gymnasts to be confident on [the] beam by strengthening their mental and physical techniques," according to its website.

One element of the program will discuss college gymnastics and what it's like to be on a team, while another will talk about rehab related to the sport, O'Brien said.

"It's not standing on the beam the entire time," she said. "It's learning about different parts of the sport with the beam as the main event."

Peszek was on the U.S. women's gymnastics team during the 2008 Summer Olympics, when the team won a silver medal. She is also a 2007 World Championships gold medalist and a 17-time All American at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she went to college.

She and her team of gymnasts, Olympians and NCAA coaches travel across the country hosting the Beam Queen Bootcamp. This weekend's stop at Premier Gymnastics Academy West, located at 2066 Mitchell Drive and one of the few gyms to offer teams for both boys and girls, is the first stop in Illinois, making it extra special for parents and students, O'Brien said.

O'Brien said some parents have even looked into going to Beam Queen camps held in other states, so they're "ecstatic." Following the two-day event this weekend, upcoming camps will take place in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington and Arizona.

"This is something special — it's run by an Olympian," O'Brien said. "They're offering so much in the two days that it's hard to pass it up. ... An Olympian has so much perspective [and knows] what you need to go through."

Although registration for the event is currently sold out — with about 85 to 90 kids set to attend, according to O'Brien — a waitlist can be found here.

The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The program is open to gymnasts in levels 3 through 10 and Xcel Silver and up.

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