MEET THE TEAM
Eranda Gunasekara
Owner/ Head Coach/ Program director
"My name is Eranda Gunasekara and my passion and dedication to Gymnastics started since I was a child. I was a Part of Sri Lanka national team from 1997-2007 and Competed in many World championships including Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in Ghent Belgium (2001), in Anaheim -USA (2003), World youth Olympics in Moscow-Russia (1998), Common wealth games in Melbourne-Australia (2006) & got selected to individual all round finals.​ I was the Gymnastics coach of multiple junior national champions in Sri Lanka.
American Flips has been a dream come true, as this is a place where I can integrate both my passion for Gymnastics and fulfill my dream to take our kids to higher levels in Gymnastics.
I am very grateful and honored to be a part of every Gymnast who walks through the door of American Flips."
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Samindi Rodrigo
Owner/ Administrator
"My name is Samindi Rodrigo and I am the Co-owner/ President of American Flips Kids Gymnastics. Im a nurse by profession. In 2019, having the opportunity to be by Coach Eranda’s side and support him in opening our first family business, American Flips was a dream come true. 4 years later, we opened our second gym in 2023 with bigger space and more equipment. Each day, in partnership with my husband and our 4 kids, I have the gift of nurturing little gymnasts, their life style and personalities through Gymnastics and I could not ask for much more than that. I am filled with gratitude for how American Flips impacts my life and our family daily."
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Sierra Lambrose
Team Coach
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“I am Sierra Lambrose. I have been teaching at American Flips since last 3 years. I did gymnastics for ten years growing up and competed up to level 8, then I cheered in high school. I’ve always loved working with kids so I’m excited that I get to use my gymnastics experience to coach and help these kids become great gymnasts.”
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Gabriela Benites
Coach
“Hi! My name is Gabriela Benites. Growing up I did gymnastics for 4 years, and cheered for 6 years. Throughout those years I created many memories I will never forget. I have always enjoyed working with kids and being able to watch them find their confidence in themselves! I am excited to be apart of American Flips and help kids learn new skills while creating so many fun memories!“​
Alexa Bradus
Team Coach
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My name is Alexa Bradus and I have been coaching girl’s gymnastics for a little over two years. Prior to coaching I did competitive gymnastics and dance for 14 years, reaching level 6 and dancing on an elite competition team in my hometown of Sacramento, California. I’m passionate about all things gymnastics and I can’t wait to share the love of the sport while mentoring and training confident, young athletes!
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Madilyn Sawyer
Coach
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"Hello, my name is Madilyn Sawyer. I did gymnastics for about 9 years. I’ve missed it ever since I stopped training. Having good coaches who believe and encourage you to be your best self was crucial for me. Becoming a gymnastics coach has been an amazing opportunity, I hope to motivate these kids and lead them to reach their full potential. I love getting to work with the kids and teaching them all the necessary skills needed to level up. I look forward to seeing them improve with my help and guidance."
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Connor Shearin
Coach
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“My name is Connor Shearin and I competed and performed on my high school’s color guard team for 3 years. At 17 I competed with Emerald Independent Open and became a WGI World Championships Independent Open Class Finalist. I also received a gold medal in the 2024 WGASC Finals in the Independent Open Class division. I have always enjoyed helping and teaching others and being able to do it as a job is truly a dream come true.”
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Madison Rayle
Coach
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"Hi, my name is Maddison. I did gymnastics for 6 years from ages 4-10 and continued cheer ever since then. I see myself in these girls and I especially love seeing their growth. I'm very glad i got the chance to be there for them."
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Julia Piper
Coach
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"Hi my name is Julia Piper! As a child I got to experience lots of tumbling and gymnastics classes which trained me to be the cheerleader I am today. I cheered on an Allstar team for many years getting to travel across the U.S and successfully winning many of my own titles. I now switched over to Highschool cheerleading getting to see a new perspective. I have had the opportunity to be trained by so many different coaching styles and I am now so excited to have my own. I can’t wait to grow with these kids and help train and guide them as athletes and individuals.​​​​
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Miriam Assad
Coach
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“Hi, I’m Miriam! I have been a gymnast for over 9 years. Great coaches made my experience as a gymnast enjoyable and memorable, and now I want to give the same to young gymnasts. My goal is to motivate and guide kids to improve and reach their goals throughout their gymnastics and tumbling experience. I am excited to share my passion for gymnastics with others!"​
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Nailea Gonzales
Coach
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"Hello!! My name is Nailea Gonzalez (Coach Lea). Growing up I did gymnastic with amazing coaches that taught me so much and played such a huge part in the person I am today. I’ve cheered all four years of highschool and currently hold two back to back state championship titles as I go into my fourth year. I hope to leave a positive effect on the students here just as my coaches did for me."​​​​
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Jullissa Gbondo
Coach
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“Hello! My name is Jullissa Gbondo. I’ve done allstar cheer and tumbling since I was three years old, and did high school cheer for two years. Along the way I was inspired by many coaches who pushed me to my best no matter what. My favorite part of my job is teaching the kids how to tumble and grow their love for this sport just as mine grew when I was their age. I cannot wait to continue teaching these kids and see them evolve into amazing gymnasts along the way!
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Jianna Jacinto
Coach
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“Hi! My name is Jianna Jacinto. I did gymnastics for 8 years and have missed it ever since I left. My coaches played such a big part in why I enjoyed gymnastics so much and I hope to be that coach for your kids.”
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Sierra Carter
Front desk operator
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"Hi my name is Sierra Carter! I work at the front desk! I’m a collegiate athlete. I love being apart of a team that pushes people to become their best self. I want the parents and athletes to always feel welcomed and taken care of. I’m looking forward to meeting new faces and watching the young athletes develop their skills. "
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Malaya Gapasin
Front desk operator
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"Hi I am Malaya one of the front desk operators. I am so grateful to be apart of the American Flips family and getting to meet all of the wonderful students here! I love working with children and being apart of their amazing experience in our program. "​​​​
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Makalya Dizon
Front desk operator
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“Hi my name is Makayla! I am one of the front desk operators! I love the team and their dedication and hard work I wanted to be a part of it! I’ve been in the customer service industry for about 6 years. I am very excited about meeting new people and love seeing the kids learning new skills and seeing how much they can achieve.”
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