BOZEMAN — 'Beam Queen Bootcamp,' started by Olympian, World Championship gold medalist, and three-time NCAA champion, Samantha Peszek, made its first-ever stop in Montana on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Founded in 2017 by Peszek, the camp has grown into an uplifting community in and out of the gym.
That positivity was in full force at Lone Mountain in Bozeman.
“'Beam Queen Bootcamp' is a female empowerment conference disguised as a little gymnastics bootcamp, and so the whole purpose is to teach life skills through sport," Peszek said.
Beam is widely considered the most difficult event to master as a gymnast, and that’s why Peszek chose it as the center point for her camp.
You need grace, stability, power – and to get up if you fall off.
“I think it’s the one most synonymous to life," Peszek explained. "It’s really teaching those high level pressure situations at a young age. So that when you’re in those situations in life later, you’re a little more comfortable.”
Her accomplishments speak for itself, and Peszek is one of the most elite gymnasts to have ever taken the mat.
The journey wasn’t always easy, but the strength she found during the toughest times shaped her.
Now, she's turned that into her brand: to uplift the girls across the world that come to her camp.
“I did gymnastics, for gosh, 22 years at every single level, and I actually almost quit when I was a young gymnast because I have a lot of fears, and I wasn’t very confident in myself," Peszek said. "And so, once I was able to develop that strength in my sport, not only did I see a different in every aspect of my life, but it made me enjoy the sport a lot more.”
In just one glance across the gym on Tuesday night, you could spot some of the top schools in the nation for gymnastics represented.
Auburn, Utah, UCLA and Michigan were some of those schools present.
These coaches don’t just teach the campers skills, they are mentors, teaching them how to overcome the hardships this sport can bring.
“We have world champions here, NCAA champions here," Peszek said. "We have gymnasts representing seven of the top college teams in America. If they can help make it just a little bit easier, that’s what it’s really all about.”
Montana is the 35th state 'Beam Queen Bootcamp' has traveled to, and they were thrilled to land on Bozeman as the host city.
“'Beam Queen Bootcamp' has a goal to hit all 50 states," Peszek explained. "This is our very first time in Montana, so we’re excited to check this off of our wishlist."
Lone Mountain was the best choice to represent the state for this massive camp.
"We got connected with this facility and it’s perfect. We need a facility for our staff to train our gymnasts on balance beams, and they had enough space, so it was a perfect fit," she said.
With so many states and countries represented and traveled to, the camp has become more of a movement.
Between the parents, athletes, coaches and executive team, they make up a network filled with positivity, which is one of Peszek's favorite parts.
“The most surprising thing for me about Beam Queen Bootcamp is the community," she said. "You know, I didn’t necessarily start it for that reason, we just wanted to give back. And then it’s really developed into this niche community.”
A community she hopes her message always resonates with.
“I’m really passionate about passing that belief onto gymnasts," she said. "And that belief is that you can do anything you set your mind to.”
For more information on 'Beam Queen Bootcamp,' head to this link.
