JGNW STAFF
Ben Jewart - Owner & Head Coach
I am the owner of JGNW. My gymnastics journey started at birth. That is because my mother owns a gymnastics school in PA that was open before I was born. I did gymnastics through my entire grade school life. I reached the highest level and was the best in PA my senior year in 1994. I then competed for the 2 years I went to college at James Madison University, in Virginia from 1995-96. I spent the next 9 years in charge of our PA team from 96- 2005. At our PA gym I helped many kids compete in the highest levels of competition all around the country and many went on to compete in college.
In 2005 I decided I wanted to explore the country. I left PA and headed west. I worked for a short time in Colorado before moving to Portland and taking up coaching in Vancouver. From 2005- 12 I worked in different gyms from Washington to Salem. I worked in many great NW gyms and learned a lot about how west gymnastics differs from east.
In 2012 I made one of the best decisions of my life. In the summer of 2013, we opened JGNW. The past years of owning JGNW have been the best! To be a positive force in lives of children in Wilsonville and surrounding communities has been the greatest reward for me. My wife and I (Amanda) love the Northwest and although, at times, miss our direct families back in PA we have found such great families through JGNW to be a part of ours that we feel truly at home. Thank you so much for making your family a part of ours!
Amanda Jewart - Assistant to Owner & Team Coach
I am Assistant Owner and Team Gymnastics Coach at JGNW. Gymnastics has been a part of my life since I began flipping in the grass of my childhood home and then my parents enrolled me in class at age 8.5. I loved the commitment, dedication, and hard work that the support depends from the very start. My favorite event was always the uneven bars! At age 14 I transferred clubs and as destiny would have, landed at Jewart’s Gymnastics in PA. At Jewart’s I competed 4 years of level 9 gymnastics, coached recreational gymnastics, operated birthday parties for young gymnasts and found my second family.
I walked on to the Division I Kent State Gymnastics team and participated in collegiate gymnastics from 2000-2003. I received my BS in Early Childhood Education and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver & Portland State University. All along my journey, I coached gymnastics in Ohio, Colorado and then Oregon. Being in the gym first as a gymnast and later as a coach has always made me feel grounded, inspired and connected!
In 2013, having the opportunity to be by Ben’s side and support him in opening Jewart’s Gymnastics NW was a dream come true. Each day, in partnership with my husband, I have the gift of coaching children in the sport that I have loved all my life - could not ask for much more than that. I am filled with gratitude for how JGNW impacts my life and our family daily. In my second life I am the program coordinator at Siemens Child Development Center (previously Mentor Graphics). You can see that children and supporting childhood for youth is a mission for myself and Ben in all that we do!
Destiny Hemry - Head Preschool and Recreation Coach
Hello I am Destiny. I have had so much fun teaching at Jewart's gymnastic NW over the years. I took gymnastics for a few years starting as a young child. I then explored some other sports. I found competitive cheerleading/ tumbling, and I was a competitive cheerleader for seven years.
I went to Oregon State University where I graduated with a bachelors in exercise and sport science. I am excited to continue to learn about gymnastics while bring my passion for fitness and background with cheer/tumbling to my teaching. The best part of teaching gymnastic is I get to not only teach these kids new skill but, I also get to see them build friendships, confidence and strength. I cannot wait to see what these gymnasts will accomplish.
Jayda Schroepfer - Assistant Coordinator & Team Coach
My name is Jayda and I am the Assistant Coordinator and Team Coach at JGNW. I began competing at around age 10 in gymnastics with Jill's Gymnastics in Louisiana. I trained elite and competed through Level 9 during my competitive career with North East Texas Elite Gymnastics. Some of my former teammates have now gone on to become US National Team Members. I retired from gymnastics at 15 due to sustained injuries in 2017 and began coaching the next day. I’ve now continued to coach gymnastics in some capacity during the last 5 years.
I graduated from iUniversity Prep in 2019 in Texas, and immediately packed up to move to the Netherlands for university. I’ve coached developmental elite in Dutch, and have been introduced to many different cultures and nationalities while coaching gymnastics in the Netherlands. I attended The Hague University of Applied Sciences from 2019-2022 for International Sport Management.
When it comes to my free time, I have a big passion for road cycling. I trained and raced in the Netherlands on the road bike, and I hope to continue this in Oregon. My other passion is gaming, I happen to manage a top European esports team that competes online.I also enjoy spending time with my rescue dog Nijntje, adopted from Spain. We've hiked the French Alps together and she also loves to join me on the bike via a special dog backpack (with proper eye protection of course!).
I’m so glad that Jewart’s was here to provide me with a wonderful opportunity to begin my full-time career. Having never been out west, I am so excited to see what Wilsonville and Oregon have to offer me! I hope to make a long-lasting and positive impact on every gymnast that passes through JGNW!