Louanne Thibodeau has been the head coach for gymnastics at the Greater Rumford Community Center for 34 years. Currently, she is sharing her leadership role with two younger women, Cassie Tuttle and Cassie Drouin, who grew up participating in the GRCC’s gymnastics program. Thibodeau also works full time as a paralegal at the law offices of Kreckel Law, P.A. in Rumford.

Name: Louanne Thibodeau

Age: 65

Hometown: Rumford

How did you first become involved in the GRCC’s gymnastics program? My children started attending gymnastics 34 years ago under Ronald Ashworth as the coach. I used to go and wait for their classes and watched. Soon Ron Ashworth asked me to join in as a coach and I agreed. I started as a recreation coach, moved on to share coaching with the high school team and then the competition team.

Describe what the GRCC’s programming under your leadership currently includes. Gymnastics, recreational and competition of all ages, pee wee gymnastics for six months to 5 years old, and tumbling for all ages. We also coach the Western Mountain Cheering team for tumbling and competition.

The difference between recreational and competition is that the groups in the recreational team learn tricks and how to feel good and have fun in gymnastics. Competition gymnasts compete in meets all over New England and learn routines from the tricks they have learned and have lots of fun showing their strengths and abilities. We start both gymnastics programs at very young ages, but the competition team ranges from ages 5 through 18.

Also, we will never turn any child down in our gymnastics programs and have space for any to come to try it out once for a free class.

Besides learning skills such as tumbling and balancing, what can participating in gymnastics give to students? Participating in gymnastics gives students confidence in life. It teaches them how to belong to a team and how to work hard for goals in life and sports.

Was gymnastics part of your life as a young girl? What kinds of activities were you part of in your younger years and what did those activities provide for you? I joined gymnastics in the eighth-through-10th grades under the coaching of Ron Ashworth on the Rumford High School team (currently Mountain Valley High School). I enjoyed being part of a team, and it taught me a lot of life skills, along with confidence and self-esteem. Learning gymnastics also taught me how to belong to a team, which meant a family life outside of my personal family life and how to work hard for goals in life and in sports.

What are your thoughts about Simone Biles, U.S. gymnastics champion, and how she pulled out of some events in the Tokyo Olympics this year because of her mental health? How would you guide a young gymnast to regain confidence in their skills after a fall or other mental health problems that may hold them back? Some athletes get mind blocks in their sports, they are only human. I felt that Simone did the correct thing since mentally she was not healthy and if she continued, she could have done a lot of damage to her physical body as well. Athletes need to be healthy mentally and physically to push themselves to go further. I respect Simone for what she did. We all need to be healthier, eat healthier, mentally enjoy our lives and have lots of fun.