The Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation (WHGF), a Columbia Community Service grantee, is proud to announce the return of its Harlem Gymnastics Invitational (HGI) for the 9th year. The competition will feature all levels of gymnasts competing in Girls' Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Trampoline & Tumbling.
Over 800 gymnasts aged 7 to 18 representing New York and the NYC Metro Area, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania will compete in Harlem, marking a large increase from last year’s invitational. Amongst the competitors will be 50 WHGF students, including 7 gymnasts from WHGF Detroit.
New this year, HGI will have an inaugural “New York City Gymnastics Championship” where gymnastics participants who are residents of the five boroughs will have a chance to become a New York City Champion. In addition, as part of HGI, the foundation will again host its signature “Showtime in Harlem” competition, where over 100 WHGF students and champion athletes will highlight the foundation’s mission and perform exciting routines on Saturday, February 25th at 4:00 PM. WHGF athletes BJ Mensah, ZaQuae Carter, and Aries Wickham will be some of the international competitors competing amongst the group.
“Every year, we look forward to hosting our annual Harlem Gymnastics Invitational as an opportunity for our athletes and athletes across the city and country to showcase their skills and compete in our hometown of Harlem,” said Wendy Hilliard, Founder and CEO of the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation. “With the event being free to the community, we hope to see visitors throughout the weekend, cheering on all of our talented gymnasts.”
The Harlem Gymnastics Invitational is a signature event for the WHGF that started in 2014 as a way to bring together all the disciplines of gymnastics. The event is made possible through sponsors including Aquafina, Gatorade, and Cliff Bar.
Each day, doors to the HGI open to the public from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and food and merchandise vendors will be on-site for visitors to enjoy. Spectators must fill the entry form provided here.
The Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation’s mission is to empower the lives of young people from underserved communities by improving physical and emotional health through the sport of gymnastics. WHGF was founded in NYC in 1996 and expanded to Detroit in 2016, in Wendy Hilliard’s hometown. Throughout its 25+ year history, WHGF has served over 25,000 youth. Funds raised at the HGI will help keep the sport of gymnastics affordable and accessible to urban youth through scholarships and low-cost programs.
Event Contact Information
Wendy Hilliard Foundation
[email protected]