Ty-La Works On Her Gymnastic Skills

Photo: Courtesy of the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation

By Shara Talia Taylor

Hilliard Teaching Students in South Africa 

Photo: Courtesy of the Wendy Hilliard Foundation

Gymnastics has been on the mind of a young upcoming athlete from the Bronx as the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris approaches on July 26. 

17–year-old Ty-La Morris has trained to reach the level of the gymnasts competing between July 27th – August 5th and she’s on the right path. She just placed 4th in Tumbling in in the women’s Intermediate 17–21-year-old division at the USA Gymnastics Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota last month thanks to the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation (WHGF).

“They helped me develop over the years and helped me get to the elite level in five years,” she said.

There are six categories in USA Gymnastics: women’s gymnastics, men’s gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, rhythmic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (group gymnastics).  Ty-La said her specialties are trampoline tumbling and power tumbling.

She was on a cheerleading squad with a friend who told her about the foundation, so she auditioned. They accepted her and even connected her to another gym where she now trains. Ty-La said she had some previous experience with tumbling, but the foundation helped her improve.

“Wendy Hilliard helped me make it look better, made it look like it had some technique and made it look cleaner and safer,” she said. “When you are tumbling, you’re going really fast so if you put your arms back you could break them. So they taught me never to put my arms back, they taught me how to roll out of things, and they taught me to keep my head in for certain skills.”

The WHGF Foundation was started in New York in 1996 by Wendy Hilliard, the first African-American woman to represent the United States Rhythmic Gymnastics team. WHGF expanded to Detroit in 20019 and Hilliard said the hope is to expand to other cities in the future. The foundation offers free and discounted classes for boys and girls ages 3-18, who apply to the program. Training at WHGF can cost about $38 a class and scholarships are available.

“I really wanted to go to the grassroots because the sport hadn’t become any more diverse,” Hilliard referenced her experience when she grew up.

She was raised in Detroit, MI. and learned the sport, which was inexpensive for her at the time. Following her Olympic journey she wanted to offer gymnastics to children in urban areas. “I wanted it to be both affordable, but also wanted it to be in the community so it’s easy to get to, and I also wanted it to be all encompassing,” Hilliard said.

Ty-La’s mother, Likisha McCormick said the foundation helped her family financially by making Gymnastics affordable. “Without the support, I’m not too sure if Ty-La would be where she is now,” McCormick said. “We are grateful that there is a program that helps young athletes be able to do what they want without the idea of getting to the next meet to compete because of how expensive this sport is.”

Hilliard said she be will be traveling to the Olympics to enjoy the games and watch supporters like Simone Biles, who had donated to the organization. Ty-La will been cheering for the team USA from home.

McCormick said it’s a new experience watching Ty-La compete when she once said “I can’t do that. I am very proud of her and her accomplishments, and have to remind her ‘you told me you can’t do it and look at you now, ’said McCormick.

She is pleased watching Ty-La develop and progress with new skills that she has learned at WHGF. “I actually do love gymnastics,” Morris said. “It’s a great experience and I feel if you love flipping, gymnastics might be your best thing, but you also have to be mentally built for it. Make sure you’re ready to be disciplined.”

Today as a high school senior Ty-La has explored colleges and hopes to continue her gymnastics training in order to pursue for her own Olympic dream.