Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes celebrated the grand opening of her fourth Dominique Dawes Academy last weekend in Ashburn. The academy at 20020 Ashbrook Commons Plz., Ste. 155, is the first Virginia location of the three-time Olympian’s gymnastics and Ninja gyms.
The academy offers expertly guided gymnastic and Ninja fitness classes, seasonal camps, birthday parties, and open-gym sessions for special events. Classes are open to children ages 7 months and up, with different levels of training and difficulty. The gym is full of equipment like balance beams, low and high horizontal bars, in-ground tumbling trampolines, a foam pit, a climbing half wall, and a number of Ninja obstacle courses.
“My motivation and my ‘why’ of starting Dominique Dawes Academies was to create an empowering, positive, safe space for your daughters and for your sons. My four kids have participated in these programs for years now and it has truly lifted up their self-esteem. It has built their confidence,” Dawes said at the grand opening event.
Motivated by her 18 years of intense Olympic training, Dawes wanted her business to have an entirely different atmosphere. She wanted a low-pressure space where kids interested in the sports of gymnastics or Ninja could learn to be active. She said one of her goals was to simply see kids sweating and smiling. That sentiment is echoed in the saying “Happy Active Strong Kids” that’s printed on the walls of the gym.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, congressman for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, stopped by the gym to congratulate Dawes, present her with a letter, and test out a few of the Ninja courses himself. The congressman showed off his balance by jumping through a foam obstacle before climbing the half wall to the top.
“Facilities like yours provide more than just a place to train, they foster community, nurture resilience, and build a foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing,” Subramanyam wrote in his letter to Dawes. “As a member of Congress, I’ve worked to expand access to youth mental health resources, support safe and inclusive learning environments, and promote community driven health and wellness initiatives. These are values that strongly align with the mission of your academy. I am proud to support these efforts, and help young people grow into healthy confident successful individuals.”
Dawes opened her first academy location in Clarksburg, Maryland, in 2020. She has since opened two more Maryland locations. The Ashburn gym is a part of a larger plan to open academies in all 50 states within five years. Another Maryland location in Silver Springs and the first Georgia location in Alpharetta are expected to open in 2026.
Feature photo by Melanie Jensen
