Chelsea Piers Girls Gymnastics Team

Elena Oleinik /// Optionals Coach

Elena Oleinik discovered gymnastics by accident when, as a little girl in her hometown of Kiev, Ukraine, Elena walked by the gym in her neighborhood and saw all the children through the window jumping up and down. She tried out for and was accepted into the gymnastics program starting training immediately. Soon after, Elena tested into the elite training center in Kiev.

At the Kiev City Gym Elena’s dedication and natural aptitude brought her many opportunities to excel within the sport, however it is a challenging beam moment that stands out in Elena’s mind as quite memorable. Beam was always Elena’s favorite event, and one day she was attempting to learn a front aerial mount. Her gym offered the low beam and the high beam, but no in-between beam to ease the learning experience. Understanding that she was nervous, Elena’s coach offered the inarguable logic that “if people from the circus can teach an elephant to stand on one leg, you can do this skill!” Elena decided her coach was right, and she threw the skill, and nailed it. Elena competed as an elite gymnast as both a member of the Ukrainian National team and a representative of Locomotive, a national club, where she won a national title. She continued to train and compete all the way through college at a national and international level. After graduate school Elena worked as a head coach for the Kiev College of Trade and Economy’s gymnastics team.

While on vacation in the U.S. Elena fell in love with New York City, and soon she and her husband had moved to Brooklyn. Elena started coaching at Nina’s Gym and spent three years working at Mid-Island Gymnastics. One fateful day Elena was driving down the West Side Highway and saw the sign for Chelsea Piers Gym. She stopped in to inquire, and has been at the Piers ever since.

At Chelsea Piers Elena works with levels 7-10, where she skillfully helps the level 7s and 8s navigate the transition from compulsory to optional athlete and shepherds levels 9-10 towards being the very best athletes they can be in this challenging sport. She also teaches pre-school and future stars classes, which allows her to follow her twin loves of working with children and introducing new athletes to our sport.

Please tell us your thoughts about working at Chelsea Piers
These girls are amazing. They come in here with all different levels of talent but with a common love for the sport. They work really hard for four hours every day, and I have so much admiration for them. I teach them but they teach me too. I am learning constantly from these girls. I am so happy when a gymnast learns a skill, especially if it was so hard for her. I have lots of respect for these girls.

Is there anything special you would like to say to the girls?
You have to believe in yourself and be proud of your accomplishments. You have to carry yourself like a million bucks and be happy with what you are doing. I am proud of every one of you.

Elena Oleinik has a graduate degree from the Kiev State University of Physical Culture and Sports. Elena’s daughter Alex was part of the CP Gymnastics program for 10 years.