Dynamite started as a dream in a Silver Spring living room. Corey, Michelle and their mom Gail (known as Grammy) discussed how nice it would be to have a true family business instead of all of us working for someone else. They loved their former gym and boss, but wanted something that would help support their large family.

 

At that point, Michelle was running a non-profit while Corey and Gail were teaching gymnastics. As they talked and researched the numbers, they grew more excited and thought maybe it could happen. 

 

They met with a local bank and were told to put together a business plan and enrollment projections. They did. The bank rejected their numbers and told them to cut them in half. They did. Rejected again. Not giving up, they pooled together all the money they could get their hands on—from savings, friends and family—until they cobbled together enough to get the most basic equipment and lobby furnishings. 

 

Corey found the perfect space that was already build out with a front desk, offices and bathrooms. Since the year was 2009 and the industrial real estate market was still hobbled from the housing crash, our landlord was happy to cut a deal for a new anchor tenant. On August 13th, we signed the lease and ordered as much equipment as our budget would allow. 

 

A truckload full of equipment arrived on September 17th. With a small group of friends and family, we carried the equipment pieces, mats and blocks into the space. Over the next few days, we assembled the floor, beams, bars, trampolines and other equipment, and set up the preschool area—just in time for our open house on September 20th.

 

Dynamite grew more quickly than could have been imagined. After nine months, Michelle joined full time and other members of the family joined the gym as well. Wendy and Alyx (Gail’s other daughters) as well as Ky (Michelle’s daughter) started teaching part time. Soon, we ran out of family members and were faced with hiring outside of the family. 

 

We hadn’t hired people before, but we knew what was important to us: Teachers who cared about kids and knew how to work with them in a kind, supportive way. Our first hire was Julian, a hockey player, who loved sports and kids. Then, a few more teachers joined our team—all bringing with them positivity and an ability to connect with children. 

 

In 2010, we launched Motion Education, a specialized one-on-one program for kids with special needs. The Motion staff created massive obstacle courses for their students built from extra blocks, beams and mats around the gym. Some of our class kids wanted to use the courses too, so we create a class with more running, jumping and climbing and called it Agility. By 2012, the program grew to several hundred students, so we rented a building at the end of the parking lot, built it out with obstacle courses, in-ground trampolines and a pit, and The Agility Center opened in 2013. TAC now offers classes that mix ninja warrior, tumbling and trampolining to help develop air awareness, motor planning and athleticism. Because the equipment is perfect for mastering developmental milestones, TAC is the home gym for Motion Education.

 

Once TAC opened, it became an incubator for other programs. One of our teachers wanted to start a cheer program and when that grew big enough, we opened a gym in Gaithersburg in 2015, which is now Spark. Then, another teacher wanted to offer parkour at The Agility Center and when the program reached over 100 students, we rented the space next to Dynamite, built it out, and opened Bolt Parkour in 2018. 

 

Now, our gyms are the only gyms in southern Montgomery County that remains family owned and operated. With over 100 teachers including 11 family members spread across four gyms and Motion Education, our hope remains as it always has been: That our gyms are a place where everyone—regardless of age, ability or goals—can feel successful and supported.