Barbara Shrewsbury has been in the gymnastics business for 22 years. Growing up in Pennsylvania with her parents Wally and Skip Taylor and one sister Nancy, she was active in cheerleading, gymnastics, orchestra, chorus and student council. She attended Bucknell University and graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in Anthropology.
Barbara was married to Robert Tichenor for 19 years and gave birth to 7 children, Meredith Lee, Lauren Wallace, Derek Ralston, Adam Lincoln, Kellen Dean, Abby Taylor and Hayley Jesse. While raising the children, she had her own cake and catering business out of her home. She baked cakes for all occasions, catered parties and weddings, and catered luncheons for area churches. She ran the snack bar at the local pool for 2 years.
Barbara married Brian Keith Shrewsbury in 1997. They met at Royal T’s Gymnastics where Adam, Kellen and Abby began taking gymnastics. Brian was running the Center with his parents, Jerry and Carolyn Shrewsbury and began coaching the boys. Barbara got involved in the Parent’s Organization and began teaching preschool classes.
With Brian teaching Barbara his coaching techniques, Barbara began teaching girls recreational gymnastics level 1 through 3, and eventually competitive gymnastics level 2 - 10. Brian coached a large boys’ competitive program and took Adam and Kellen all the way to Nationals along with other team members. Barb and Brian coached Abby to level 10 and Hayley to level 9.
Brian and Barb went to Guatemala in February, 2000 and picked up their adopted 4 month old baby, Drake Palmer Shrewsbury. In the same year, Brian and Barb bought the gym from Brian’s parents and renamed it Maryland State Gymnastics Center. In 2004 Laura Schrenk joined their family and Jibril was adopted from Delaware Social Services in 2010.,
While MGA Maryland is the oldest running Gymnastics Center in Maryland, Brian decided to open another gym in Apopka, Florida in 2011 and it was named Gym Adventure. Kellen purchased a home big enough for everyone to stay in while Gym Adventure was started. Brian, Barbara, Kellen and Abby became partners in the Florida gym, and everyone took turns traveling back and forth to Maryland to continue running that Gym.
Brian and Barb bought a second home in Florida right behind Kellen’s house. When the gym’s landlord offered to move Gym Adventure to a newer, bigger Sports Complex up the street, we jumped on the chance. Kellen and Brian designed the new gym and led in its construction. It opened in October, 2015 and was officially renamed MGA (“My Gym Adventure”). The Maryland Gym was also renamed MGA (‘Maryland Gym Adventure”).
Today both gyms are growing . The Maryland Gym is run mainly by Barb and Abby and is strictly recreational. The Florida Gym is recreational and competitive and the “Red Zone” was added in 2017. This smaller gym down the hall is equipped with Ninja Equipment and preschool apparatus.
Barbara is the Operational Manager for both gyms. She is in charge of customer contacts for both locations, Maryland staffing and facility , Maryland and Florida staff training, summer camp and birthday party director in Maryland, and substitute teaching in the Florida and Maryland gym.
Brian and Barbara are expecting their 13th grandchild the end of May. Kellen, Abby, Hayley and Drake all teach at MGA and Jibril is a gymnast who was Regional champion this year! Barbara is planning on starting up her catering business again once she locates a commercial kitchen and hopes to partner with daughters Abby and Hayley.