Talladega College Shutters Gymnastics Program After Just One Year: 'The Pain Still Lingers'

When Kyrstin Johnson learned that Talladega College would abruptly end its gymnastics program after just one year, a sharp pain gripped her chest.

"I’m still angry to this day," Johnson expressed.

Talladega College, the second historically Black college to establish a gymnastics program, announced the discontinuation on July 31, citing "extensive deliberation and consideration of the current financial health of the institution," according to an official statement.

The news left Johnson and her family heartbroken. Just a year earlier, Johnson had been awarded a four-year scholarship, prompting her to leave her Maryland home and move 12 hours away to Alabama.

"It’s like any other sport. You’re proud when they get a full ride," said her mother, Scharon Johnson. "We didn’t have to worry about college expenses, one of the biggest burdens parents face regarding their children’s future. But then, out of nowhere, this burden was thrust upon us. What are we going to do now?"

Johnson had proudly represented the Tornadoes, forging strong bonds with her teammates and coaches. Her standout performances were in the vault and uneven bars. Along with five other athletes, she qualified for national competitions, even clinching a gold medal in the vault at the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate National Championships.

Gymnastics has garnered massive attention at the Paris Olympic Games this year, with a gold-medal-winning women’s team led by Simone Biles and a bronze-medal-winning men’s team. The vault event saw the first-ever all-Black podium, featuring Brazil's Rebeca Andrade and Team USA’s Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles.

Johnson took pride in attending a historically Black college. She recalled how, during her earlier competitions, she was often the only gymnast of color. At Talladega, she found a sense of belonging. "I could connect with everyone. I could relate to everyone. My culture was just part of the environment," she said.

It took Johnson several days to grasp the reality of the program's closure. By the third day, it became real when the team’s Instagram page was temporarily taken down.

"When the page was gone, I thought, ‘You’ve just erased all the memories we made, the progress we achieved up to the competition season, everything we did as a team. History vanished,'" Johnson lamented.

Brown Girls Do Gymnastics (BGDG) had played a crucial role in bringing the gymnastics program to Talladega, building on their success at Fisk University, the first HBCU to host a gymnastics team. According to NCAA data, Black women make up only 8% of women’s gymnastics.

BGDG founder Derrin Moore said the organization served as a consulting firm, helping to hire a coach and recruit athletes for Talladega. Johnson was the first recruit for the newly established team.

The college’s administration had assured Johnson and others that the financial situation was stable. Moore estimated that hosting the team cost approximately $500,000. The college did not respond to requests for comment from news.

In hindsight, Moore noticed some red flags regarding the program’s future. Talladega had planned to host a summer training camp, but the event was canceled due to financial constraints. Additionally, the team lacked sufficient leotards, prompting BGDG to organize a fundraiser to purchase more.

When Moore learned that the program would be discontinued, she launched a fundraiser to try and save it. The campaign raised $10,000 on the first day.

"We were just fighting to survive," Moore recalled.

During this time, Johnson’s family also promoted the fundraiser while considering her next steps.

"At first, it was devastation, tears," Scharon Johnson shared.

Although the fundraiser didn’t meet its ultimate goal, the money raised helped gymnasts transition to other opportunities. On Aug. 1, BGDG announced that most of the gymnasts had successfully transferred to Wilberforce University, another HBCU, to form a new team.

On Aug. 5, Johnson announced that she had secured a spot on Temple University’s gymnastics team.

Though she’s excited about her new journey, Johnson will miss Talladega’s campus and the bond she shared with her team. Competing with them was "empowering."

"We went out there, showed up, and gave it our all. We had fun," Johnson said. "We showed everyone what Talladega College Gymnastics was about. Even though it ended after just one year, I think none of us would change a thing."