When Jonathan Reagan was about 7 years old, a neighbor taught him how to do a back flip.
“I liked it,” said Jonathan, now 11 and one of the top gymnasts in the region.
The son of Patrick and Brandi Reagan of Mocksville, he kept doing those back flips. He did so many that his parents were worried he may start breaking things – including himself.
“We put him in gymnastics because he was flipping everywhere,” his mother said. “I was afraid he would get hurt and thought he needed an outlet and a place to learn how to properly do those flips and land without breaking his ankles. He was a daredevil and was literally climbing the walls, back flipping off our couch …”
Jonathan enrolled in In Flight Gym in Advance. He took gymnastics there for more than two years when he came to his parents with a request.
He wanted to take the sport to the next level, and to do that, he needed to join Flip Force in Kernersville. To compete, he needed that advanced level of training, he said. Jonathan even mentioned that he would be able to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
His father said it is important for parents to support their children in their desires – as long as they put in the effort.
He wasn’t at Flip Force long before he tried out for the competition team. It was a three-hour tryout.
“Things went pretty well and I kept learning and moved up some levels,” Jonathan said.
At his first competition, he got a first and a second place. He won two golds at a state competition. He won two gold medals and a bronze at the regional competition, qualifying him to compete in the nationals. The trip to Washington state is too far for the nationals, but it isn’t hampering his spirit.
Jonathan wants to compete in the Olympics.
“He made the statement to us, ‘If I want to go to the Olympics, I need to go to Flip Force’,” Brandi said.
“As long as he has that level of commitment, we’ll do what we have to do,” Patrick said.
That commitment means four trips to Kernersville for practice every week. His mom does that. His dad is busy, too, helping coach sister Sara’s travel softball team.
Jonathan likes the coach at Flip Force, Sam Groves. He can teach new things – but not before you master what you’re learning.
“Once you learn something new, you want to keep on trying,” Jonathan said.
His best events are the trampoline and double mini trampoline.
Jonathan maintains good grades and his behavior at school is exceptional. His mother sometimes helped him study while traveling to and from Kernersville.
The family attends Hillsdale United Methodist Church, and Jonathan’s parents are proud of his faith. He often prays before competition. He prefers to sit in on the adult – not children’s sermon.
By 2020, he will be old enough to compete in the Olympics. They will be held in Tokyo that year, something Jonathan already knows.
“My husband and I work hard to make this dream happen and we couldn’t be more proud of him as a person and an athlete,” Brandi said.