Wallers’ GymJam Academy on the edge of Canyon Country is not only home to Olympian Chris Waller, but talented coach Karl Ziehn, whose star student, Kiara Nowlin, struck gold in Russia last month. She won two gold medals in the age 13-14 division at the Trampoline and Tumbling World Age Group Competitions in St. Petersburg.

She took first place in Girls Tumbling and first place in Double Mini Tramp – the only U.S. athlete to take two golds.

Tumbling consists of two passes of eight skills performed in sequence, explained Coach Ziehn. Passes are characterized by fast, fluid transitions from skill to skill culminating in an explosive dismount. The tumbling surface is six feet wide by 120 feet long and is sprung with horizontal fiberglass rods, hence the title, “rod floor.” 

“In Kiara’s passes she performs a double flip in both the middle of her pass and at the end as a dismount. Kiara is the only athlete in the country her age to perform this type of sequence,” said Ziehn.

The Double Mini is a small trampoline on which an athlete performs two consecutive flipping skills, mounting from a run and dismounting to a landing mat, said Ziehn.

Coach Ziehn and other professionals coach at Wallers’ GymJam Academy at 26515 Ruether Avenue in Santa Clarita; (661) 251-3390; www.gymjamacademy.com.