Athlete Success Gurus
Whether a child/adult is a budding or an experienced athlete, there is a coach behind them to inspire them to excel and achieve their best. Coaches at RGA who base their teaching and direction on the fundamentals of physical literacy and artistic gymnastics can do so effectively since they are experienced, educated and certified/trained in varied levels the National Coaching Certificate program specific to artistic gymnastics coaching.
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics program (CCP/Xcel/Developmental)
Coach Deborah Parsons
Deb grew up in Montreal and has always had a passion for gymnastics and dance. With over 13 years of coaching experience in gymnastics and cheerleading, she has had the opportunity to work with kids of all ages and abilities. Armed with certification and experience in Early Childhood Education (ECE), she is able to effectively amalgamate the skills and best practices learned in both fields to work with children. Deb discovered early on in her career that she loves nurturing athletes in the sport they love.
Over the last few years, Deb has enjoyed Gymnaestrada – i.e. preparing, instructing, and rehearsing routines for competitions and events. Getting athletes ready to get out there and showcase the best they can deliver is something she prides herself in doing. Deb hopes to continue developing well-rounded athletes in the appropriate programs and continue nurturing each’s love for gymnastics. Coach Deb is the lead coach of the GfA Program and the Developmental Program. She can be reached at gfa@richmondgymnastics.com
Coach Todd Millway
Todd has been coaching gymnastics in BC since 1981 and has coached every age group from pre-school to national-level competitive athletes. Todd's love of bio-mechanics took him into the Human Kinetics program at UBC where he learned to apply the science to the sport of gymnastics. Since completing his Human Kinetics Degree, he has gone on to complete his Bachelors and Masters of Education. Todd is currently a teacher in the Vancouver School District where he teaches grade 7 and coaches soccer, track and field, and badminton. He uses his teaching strategies to help gymnasts thoroughly understand the skills of gymnastics! And in the extra time that is available to him, he loves to work out, watch his own kids play soccer, and make ‘stuff’. Coach Todd can be reached at comp@richmondgymnastics.com
Coach Fernanda Rabago
Fernanda grew up in Mexico and started her career in gymnastics at seven years of age. She competed Nationally at the time, while also judging at competitions. And then there was a slight change- a calling came from Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. During this time, she discovered a deep affection for yoga, healing, and health! She became a registered yoga teacher and initiated a health-oriented business called Mangala Foods in Mexico and Vancouver.
Her love for all things healthy led her to become a Holistic Nutritionist. Her twin girls’ start in gymnastics at an early age rekindled her love for the sport and she initiated her NCCP certification in coaching for gymnastics, which continues to build on her experience as an athlete. And when she is not coaching at the gym, you can almost always find her whipping up some healthy stuff in the kitchen! Coach Fernanda is the lead coach of the Xcel Program. She can be reached at xcel@richmondgymnastics.com
Coach Veronika Pathak
Veronika’s wealth of experience as a competitive athlete and coach is an asset to RGA’s WAG (competitive) coaching team. Born and raised in Estonia, she took to gymnastics at a young age. She is the winner of the Estonian National Championship awards in both 1991 and 1992. In her athlete years, she has competed in European, and World Championships and was a member of the team that won the Silver Medal at the Euro Team Championships. Veronika is NCCP level 3 certified amongst many other accreditations to her name. In her free time, if she has any from the daily mission of family, kids, gymnastics… and more gymnastics, she can be found sitting and thinking about how to make her athletes achieve their goals through the love of the sport.
Coach Veronika is the lead coach for the CCP Program. She can be reached at comp@richmondgymnastics.com
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics program
Coach Pete Mitchell
Growing up in Manitoba, Pete began training in gymnastics at 5 years old and at the age of 10 he began to compete at National Gymnastics competitions. Pete’s determination to perform took him to the world stage, performing at MTV’s Video Music Awards, The Superbowl Pregame, Cirque du Soleil, and President Barack Obama’s Inauguration… to name a few.
Throughout his career he has lived across North America coaching football, cheerleading, swimming, and of course, gymnastics. For the last 20 years, Pete has dedicated his time to coaching men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics in the Lower Mainland. He brings his unique experience, his positive attitude, and his desire to shape young athletes to his coaching. When Pete isn’t coaching, you can find him golfing and playing with his dog, Storm, who has quickly become an integral part of the RGA office. Coach Pete is the lead coach of the MAG program. He can be reached at mag@richmondgymnastics.com