CROWN POINT | Jozef Wadecki says he's afraid of heights.
Then he should get his wings clipped. Because when it comes to flying, Wadecki makes Michael Jordan look like Billy Paultz.
"With all its speed and adrenaline, tumbling is the only sport for me," said the 22-year-old Poland native, who is one of the top tumblers in the world.
"I tried volleyball, soccer ... even dancing, but nothing has the explosiveness of tumbling."
In addition to his numerous World Cup titles, Wadecki won a gold medal in tumbling at the 2005 World Games in Duisberg, Germany. The World Games take place every four years, and feature sports that are not included in the Olympics. Tumbling, in the Sports Acrobatic category, is one of the excluded.
"I wish it could be an Olympic sport someday," Wadecki said. "But if it doesn't, it's not going to change my love for it. Doing it always brings a smile to my face. And when people see it in competition, it gets the biggest cheers of all the events."
Wadecki was one of the star attractions during an open house exhibition show at Summit Athletics on April 24. His aerial-twisting passes can best be described as blatent violations to the law of gravity.
Wadecki regularly trains at Summit Athletics, owned by former USA Trampoline and Tumbling Coach of the Year Peggy Rayson. She opened the Crown Point gym late last year after moving from Gator's Gym in Highland.
"It was something in the works since 2005," Rayson said. "We wanted to do it sooner, but the economy was so bad. Now was the right time."
From Highland, Rayson brought her Dynamite trampoline and tumbling team, which has competed around the world. Included on the team is Visa Championships Junior Men's bronze medalist Austin Nacey, who also performed at the exhibition.
But it isn't just about trampoline and tumbling at Summit Athletics.
"I've found out that in order for gyms to stay open throughout the year and not lose money is that they've got offer a variety of other programs," Rayson said.
These other programs include pre-school gymnastics, dancing, yoga, martial arts and all-star cheerleading.
"All-star cheerleading is starting to take off," Rayson said. "It's always been big out west. Now it's catching on around here."
Summit Athletics is located at 1656 E. Summit St. in Crown Point -- in the Crown Village Plaza at E. Summit Street and Broadway. The gym offers tumbling and trampoline classes, pre-school gymnastics classes, all-star cheerleading classes, Sandy's School of Dance, 360 Family Martial Arts Studio, and yoga classes. For more information, call (219) 663-6580 or VISIT WWW.SUMMITATHLETICS.ORG.
