Flip-Flops celebrates 25 years in business

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[This month Flip-Flops and Fitness is celebrating 25 years in business.

Flip-Flops and Fitness was started in March of 1984 by Kathy Bailey. She opened her first gym in Carrier Mills and after two years decided to move the business to Harrisburg. The first location in Harrisburg was on Locust Street across the street from the Saline County Courthouse, the present location of Old National Bank. In 1993 the building she rented was sold and Flip-Flops was moved to its present location at 601 West Poplar Street.

In December of 1995 the business was purchased by Alexa (Sutton) Hortin who had worked at Flip-Flops since January of 1990. A small new addition was added in 1996 to provide a place for parents to watch their children and to make more room for tumbling. After three years this space was not sufficient. Due to a growing enrollment the gym was expanded in 1999. The gym size was increased by 2/3 to the present size of about 4,000 square feet. At the present time Flip-Flops has students attending from 10 Illinois counties: Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson, Pope, Saline, Wabash, White, Williamson; and also from Calloway County, Ky., and Posey County, Ind.

Flip-Flops and Fitness is a member of the Amateur Athletic Union and the United States Tumbling and Trampoline Association. Flip-Flops has produced numerous state and national champions in the sport of power tumbling. In 2002 three athletes from Flip-Flops and Fitness tried out for and made the United States Tumbling and Trampoline National Team: Kaci Dowdy, Brittni Martin and the late Ryan Brown.

Flip-Flops provides gymnastics and tumbling for boys and girls ages three years and older. Flip-Flops is proud to serve Harrisburg and to provide a safe, encouraging environment for children to learn and grow. We are looking forward to some exciting new things at Flip-Flops and hope to continue for 25 more years.