MORAN — Twist & Turn Gymnastics was bursting at the seams.
The gymnastics studio, which opened in October 2024 in Moran’s old library building at 335 N. Cedar St., regularly has around 50 children enrolled. But with 8-foot ceilings, limited space to run, and no parent room for adults, owners Lydia and Ty Gable knew they needed a change.
Fast forward to Tuesday, when the Gables gathered with Iola Area Chamber members and supporters to celebrate a ribbon cutting at their new location, 1345 U.S. Highway 59. A grand opening was also held Sunday.
At their new location, space is no longer a concern. They’ve renovated the former home of Natural Ag Solutions, which closed in April 2020 when Green Cover Seed purchased the cover crop seed portion of the company and relocated to Iola.
Lydia’s parents, Loren and Regena Lance of the Mildred Store, own the building and rent it to the Gables. Gabbert Family Farms, owned by Darrell and Jacque Gabbert, use part of the facility to bag and sell deer corn.
A new interior wall separates the gymnastics studio from the corn operation. The Gables added a new HVAC system for the gym space, sealed the floors, added a modern parent room with comfy chairs and snacks, and modernized offices.
All told, the improved studio has space for a trampoline, balance beam, a double mini trampoline, and 40 feet for their tumbling and cheer floors, along with other individual stations.
Both Ty and Lydia are certified coaches and lead mommy & me, beginner, and advanced classes. They offer six-week sessions and also coach a competitive team that travels the region to compete in tumbling, double-mini and trampoline events. Children as young as age 2 can participate.
It’s a world Lydia knows well.
For over a decade, Gable, a 2012 Marmaton Valley graduate, competed out of Joplin, Mo., in tumbling and trampoline gymnastics.
As a freshman in 2009, she won a Missouri state championship on trampoline and was the reserve state champ in the double mini. In the Junior Olympics Championships in San Jose, Calif., that year, she placed 4th in the double mini.
In 2015, Gable transitioned to her current career in healthcare. She works full-time at Allen County Regional Hospital as an ultrasound technician.
These days, she and Ty often meet up at the studio after work. With two young kids, the couple is clear about why they’re so invested in Twist & Turn. There are easier ways to make a living, after all.
“It’s worth it to see the kids develop, to grow our youth,” Ty says.
“We’re excited to entertain and educate our kids,” Lydia adds. “We want them to see that God is more than church on Sundays.”
Indeed, a Bible verse, Psalm 25:4, is painted on the new wall right below their logo.
