Meet Our Amazing Coaches!
Coach JP, Owner
Hi everyone, my name is Jennifer Perea, but everyone calls me JP, Ms. JP or Coach. I am the founder, owner, director, and coach at Flips For Fun Gymnastics. We established our first location here in beautiful Lake Havasu City in 2018, and opened another location in Parker in October 2023.
I started my journey as a gymnast at the age of 6 years old here in Lake Havasu City. I received the opportunity to teach and coach gymnastics classes starting at age 13 and continued my journey until I graduated high school in 2005.
At 6 years old, I knew gymnastics was “my thing!” After training, watching my teammates compete, and watching the Olympics, I knew that I wanted to continue and further my training. I started competing at the age of 11 and retired as a level 9 competitive gymnast. Unfortunately, college education put a halt to continuing as a collegiate gymnast.
I attended Bryman Institute in Phoenix in 2005, directly after graduating from high school. I attended the accelerated program and graduated with my associates degree as a Medical Assistant in November 2006. Shortly after, I moved back to LHC and found the man of my dreams where we decided to start a family. I continued my education as a Registered Medical Assistant in 2016, continued with ongoing education and certifications, and then had a great opportunity to get my Nursing Degree in 2021 here at MCC. My journey in the medical field is not quite done, as I have started the Bachelors program at Grand Canyon University to pursue becoming a Nurse Practitioner.
Owning a gymnastics facility was not on my list of “to do’s” until after I had my daughter. My oldest daughter loved gymnastics and told me, “Mom, if you open a gymnastics place, I will go there and love it.” So I did! This was just the beginning. It took me a few years to get things headed in the right direction, but when I did, it ran with full force. Now we have 2 locations, and we have fun loving faces of all ages. We now have 42 competitors this season ranging from ages 5 years old to 45 years old.
Flips For Fun Gymnastics was built for my girls and other girls and boys, to set themselves goals, achievements, strength, courage, excitement, talent, confidence…to make new friends, socialize, and build a family. Not only have I built an extended family with these kids and their families, but I have helped students and their families find and build forever friends.
A Little About Me…
Coach Chris
I grew up in Southern California and attended Cal Poly Pomona. I joined the Army as a Veterinary Technician and was stationed in Virginia. I am married to Rick (also a gymnastics coach) and have 1 daughter (a gymnast of course) and an up and coming gymnast granddaughter (she is also an avid skier). I was not a gymnast but grew up showing horses. I showed Hunter/Jumpers and Equitation all over the country (weirdly enough the 2 sports are similar when it comes to body awareness and shaping).
Rick and I purchased a gym in Maryland which we sold in 2008 and moved back to California. In 2015 we moved to Hawaii. While there we purchased Oahu Gymnastics. We sold the gym to a long time employee and moved back to the Mainland in May 2022. We ended up in Havasu and love it.
I started coaching gymnastics 30+ years ago at Barlow’s Gymnastics in Annapolis Maryland. I started coaching the JO level 5 Team (and coached them to the State Championship). My husband and I ended up coaching level 7 – 10 at Barlow’s and had many State, regional and National Champions. I also had the Honor of coaching Women’s Gymnastics at the United States Naval Academy. In addition to coaching at our gyms, I have conducted many teaching clinics, specializing in Floor, Beam and Vault. Over the course of my coaching career many of my gymnasts have gone on to win State, Regional and National awards.
One of my favorite things about gymnastics is watching the girls develop and progress with their skills. But most of all I love watching them have FUN!!!! Gymnastics teaches so many life skills and I love being a part of that.