Sponsored by The Mountain Air | Sponsored by Benny’s Pizza | SLOFreeParking
What does it take to turn ten students, a rented room, and a big idea into a SLO CAL institution?
Mimi Phene-McKellar joins Adam to celebrate 35 years of Central Coast Gymnastics and reflect on a journey built through persistence, community support, and a deep belief in what movement can unlock in a child. Mimi shares how she started the program in 1991 with almost no equipment, how it grew into a thriving 16,000-square-foot facility, and why the lessons learned inside a gym reach far beyond cartwheels, trampolines, and competition.
This conversation is also about motherhood, courage, inclusion, and possibility. Mimi tells the remarkable story of her daughter, Maddie, who was born with cerebral palsy and faced devastating medical predictions. Through years of therapy, determination, and time spent around the gym, Maddie learned to walk and eventually competed in trampoline alongside other athletes. It is a powerful reminder that progress does not always look the way we expect, and that the right environment can help a person discover abilities others may not yet see.
Adam and Mimi also discuss raising active kids in a screen-heavy world, why gymnastics can create a foundation for nearly every other sport, and how a local business becomes part of the family history of an entire community.
Central Coast Gymnastics will celebrate its 35th anniversary on Saturday, July 18, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at 21 Zaca Lane in San Luis Obispo. The free community event includes performances, giveaways, refreshments, and open gym for children ages 2 through 16. Families are encouraged to pre-register online. An enrollment promotion also offers $40 in savings when enrolling on or before July 18.
•Central Coast Gymnastics official website
•Pre-register and explore classes, camps, and programs
•Follow Central Coast Gymnastics on Instagram
• Address: 21 Zaca Lane, San Luis Obispo, California
• Phone: 805-549-8408
********
*PORTABIDET: UP+ADAM IS AN OFFICIAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PORTABIDET - USE THIS LINK FOR UP+ADAM LISTENERS TO LEARN MORE AND GET YOURS!
Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:
********
CHECK OUT OUR WOODS HUMANE PET OF THE WEEK!
********
ADAM’S TEDX VIDEO IS HERE!
********
FOLLOW ADAM ON INSTAGRAM
*********
Sincere Thanks to the current supporters of Up + Adam. Please take a moment and visit them and thank them for supporting local broadcasting, and valuing what we do here. Thank you for supporting them!
Life Elements
City of SLO
WoodsHumaneSociety
Tin City Distillery
Original Music by Dan Curcio and Moonshiner Collective
Moonshiner on Spotify HERE
Please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the podcast, and learn more at AdamMontiel.com
©2026 Up+Adam with Adam Montiel / LoBro Studios, All Rights Reserved.
