One chapter has closed, and another is about to open at a gymnastics school in Mahoning Township.

After 29 years, Denise Maradeo, owner of Tumble With Denise Gymnastics, chose to step away from her role as of Dec. 31.

“The workload is just too much, and I want to slow down,” Maradeo said. “I’m still going to work.”

Maradeo moved the business to its current location at 961 Oak Grove Drive in 2008. Before that, the business had operated at several locations in Lehighton.

In that time, Maradeo said she’s taught several thousand students.

She explained how the opportunity to open her own gymnastics school came about.

“I was just asked to do it all the time,” Maradeo said. “I was at Dance With Kim (Lehighton) and she (Kim) asked if I wanted to start gymnastics.”

Maradeo, who resides in the Beltzville area, described why she believes the studio is thriving.

“We kept the old-time principles; I’m very conservative,” she said. “We have fun, but we want the kids to understand rules.”

Maradeo said she is grateful for all the support she’s received over the years.

“For me, thanking the community for all their support and trust in me,” she said. “I think that is the change in the direction of sports; everything is organized sports.”

Maradeo said they currently have 565 students.

“We are big here on praising the children, building them up,” she said. “We want to make it very rewarding.”

New owner is familiar face

Maradeo’s successor, Megan Zelienka, has taken over and plans to rename the school into Skye High Gymnastics.

“Megan and her husband, Tony, are the best people to run this business,” Maradeo said. “Megan was my student; to watch her grow to this point, the compliments we’ve been getting, they can see she’s the right person.”

In celebration of Zelienka’s ownership of the gym, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently at the facility.

“The people posting nice things of what I’ve done for them, they’ve done more for me,” she said. “It’s definitely a rewarding life doing this.”

Over the next few weeks, Zelienka said Tumble with Denise will be transitioning to Skye High Gymnastics.

Zelienka said it was her parents who made her join Tumble with Denise that began her love for the sport.

Over time, she said she’s been a teacher/helper, along with manager.

“I’m just excited to carry on the legacy for the community because the kids love coming here,” said Zelienka, who has a 14-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. “The core principles will stay the same.”

Zelienka got emotional as she said that the new gym is in memory of their daughter, Camryn Skye, whom they lost in 2012 to a brain tumor and for whom she said had a tremendous affinity for gymnastics.

“She was a student here. She loved it,” Zelienka said. “I know that she would want this for us; it completes Megan’s dream.”

Zelienka said Skye High Gymnastics has daytime classes geared toward homeschooled children, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Ninja Classes from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, age 6 and up, and holds birthday parties on Saturdays.

In time, she said she would like to expand in the future within the next few years.

While changes are underway, Zelienka assured that the gym’s core values will remain the same.

“We’re known as a big gymnastics family, and we’re now seeing the next generation of families,” she said. “It is like a big family.”

Skye High Gymnastics is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Zelienka noted that the school is accepting children ages 1-18 of all abilities and all goals.

For more information, contact 570-386-3547, or visit Skyehighgym@gmail.com.