Bozhi's Gym Nest

instructors and staff

All of our instructors are personally trained and mentor to obtain and maintain their high quality of instruction by Bozhi, a former Bulgarian National Team member, Bulgarian & USA National Team coach with over 40 years of coaching experience, producing many world class athletes, 2009 Vault World Champion & several Olympians. Assisted by his daughter Hrabrina Spencer, a former Bulgarian National Team Member, European Championship Silver Medalist & 1988 Olympian.

Bozhidar 'Bozhi" Russev

Bozhidar Russev was born in Sliven, Bulgaria November 7, 1941. He was a member of the Bulgarian National Gymnastics Team from 1960-1966, and 1968-1970. In 1966, Russev spent two years employed under work contract with then Soviet Union (Russia) in the government headquarters of Cirqus as a sports acrobat and high bars. He has participated (as a gymnast) in numerous national and international tournaments over the years, including an unforgettable achievement in 1962 as the Bulgarian National Champion.

Hrabrina Hrabrova Spencer

Hrabrina was born on April 20th, 1972 to mother Vanya Hrabrova and father Bozhidar Hrabrov Russev in Varna, Bulgaria. She was practically raised in the gymnastics gym as her parents were decorated National Team gymnasts and active patrons in the gymnastics community in Bulgaria. She started pursuing competitive gymnastics at the age of 7 after being invited from her dad to join the team. At the age of 11 Hrabrina followed her family into the capital city of Sofia, where her dad was offered high ranking position as a coach in one of the two largest sports clubs in the country. At the age of 14 Hrabrina earned a spot into the Bulgarian National Senior Team, which was one of the top 5 ranking in the World in the 80’s, and went on to winning many National titles and representing the country Worldwide. Some of her biggest achievements are: Silver Medal on Vault in the 1988 European Championships, and 5th place Team with the Bulgarian Team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.

Lance Spencer

Coach

Aisha Conway

Coach

Danika Spencer

Coach

Emee Smith

Coach

Holly Boyes

Coach

Jon Thomas

Coach

Shelby Person

Coach

Vanya Hrabrova

Office

Leslee Cassidy

Leslee Cassidy is from Barboursville. She took gymnastics from one of the first gymnastics facilities in Huntington, “Mountaineer Gymnastics” as well as cheerleading from elementary school through high school at Barboursville schools. She has been coaching gymnastics since 1983, beginning at the Gym Factory in Barboursville, then Raleigh Carey School of Gymnastics in North Carolina from 1985 to 1986. Upon returning to West Virginia she taught gymnastics at the YMCA from 1999 to 2002 with Tina Bryant, another original Huntington gymnast, then moved to Bozhi’s in 2002 when the team, which included her oldest daughter, became to big for the YMCA facility and joined the Gymnest family and has been teaching here ever since. Leslee has loved the sport of gymnastics her whole life, and once she had kids of her own, it became important to her for her girls to experience it. In her coaching, she has made it her personal goal to leave each and every gymnast with positive memories of their gymnastic experience as well as to be a good and memorable coach.

Lyndsay Wilson

Lyndsay Wilson, from Huntington, has taken gymnastics classes from Bozhi’s Gymnest since she was three, where she was on the competitive gymnastics team until level 9. After leaving competitive gymnastics, she went on to cheerlead for four years on the varsity squad at Huntington High, as well as competing with an all-star cheerleading team. Before beginning to teach at Gymnest in 2008, she coached at tumble world for a year. Coaching is a way for her to express her love for the sport of gymnastics. Replicating her own gymnastic experience for her students is thrilling for her. Watching her students learn new skills and attain new goals makes her love her job that much more.

Nikita Parsons

Nikita Parsons, from Huntington, started gymnastics at the age of two and has been under Bozhi’s instruction since 1991. She was a member of the Gymnest competitive gymnastics team and cheered at Spring Valley High School. She began coaching at the Gymnest in 2005. Coaching for her is a passion because it has always been such a big part of her life. She loves working with children and seeing them accomplish things that they never thought they could. She views Gymnest as not only a place of work and gymnastics, but also a big family.