PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff David Durante, who was an alternate member of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, watches a gymnast at Classic Gymnastics and Cheer Academy, Marlboro. Durante, a native of Garwood, spent time at the academy recently and offered suggestions to help the youngsters improve their skills. MARLBORO —Young men were not only able to meet an alternate member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, they were also able to learn more about the sport when David Durante paid a visit to Classic Gymnastics and Cheer Academy.
Durante, 29, was an alternate member of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
Tricia Adamo, one of the owners of Classic Gymnastics, said she and her son, Parker, first met Durante when her son’s gymnastics team went on a trip to the Olympic trials.
Adamo said she exchanged emails with Durante and asked him if he would be able to come to her gym to conduct a clinic for aspiring male gymnasts. In late June, Durante came to Marlboro to host the clinic.
During a visit to Classic Gymnastics and Cheer Academy, Marlboro, David Durante (r) shows Matthew Rusch the proper form to use on the rings. Durante, who grew up in Garwood, said, “For me to be able to come, especially here in New Jersey where it all started for me and I have such close ties to, it’s always nice for me to come back and contribute.”
During the two-day camp, Durante and Classic Gymnastics’ head coach Edmund O’Connor reviewed gymnastics skills and techniques.
Durante said that with limited time, he tried to look at the skill level each boy was at and offered suggestions to help improve that gymnast’s performance.
“It’s more about giving them little hints and tips that I think are beneficial to making strides along the way,” he said.
Although Durante did not compete at the Olympics, he said he did enjoy helping to motivate his teammates who were taking part in the gymnastics events. The U.S. men’s team ended up winning a bronze medal.
Durante said he will likely retire from competition following recent knee surgery.
Most recently, he worked as an assistant coach for the Stanford University gymnastics team. Durante is a Stanford graduate.
“It nice to go back and be able to help out the program. We won the national championship this year,” Durante said.
Durante will soon be moving to Rome, Italy, after he was voted into the Athlete Advisory Council (AAC). He explained that the AAC is comprised of athlete representatives from every sport and he will be the gymnastics representative. Durante is expected to serve in that position until the 2012 Olympics in London.
O’Connor, who was an elite gymnast, said he and Durante are in the same age bracket and had competed against each other. With Durante at the gym, O’Connor said he was even picking up some pointers and said it was interesting to hear Durante’s take on things.
Dimitry Pressimone, 9, of Marlboro, enjoyed hearing what Durante had to say.
“It’s cool that he’s (Durante) going to get to help me and I’m going to get to improve better and improve on every event. And I’m going to meet an Olympian,” Dimitry said.
On the first day of the gymnastics camp, Dimitry had already learned that he needs to stay tight and focused when he is working on his movements.
Marlboro resident Akash Modi, 14, said his goal is to keep improving his gymnastics skills.
“What better way [is there] than to have someone who has been through this and knows everything,” Akash said of Durante.
Akash said he is the cousin of one of Durante’s Olympic teammates, Raj Bhavsar, who competed for the United States in Beijing. Akash said he hopes to make a name for himself and work his way to the Olympic team in time for the 2016 games.
Parker Adamo, 11, of Millstone Township, said he was hoping to take advantage of Durante’s visit and work on a double full for the floor exercise event.
Jacob Paul, 15, of East Brunswick, has been participating in gymnastics since the age of 3 and was excited about Durante’s visit.
“Getting a chance to have an actual Olympic gymnast tell me how I’m doing,” will be helpful, Jacob said.
Classic Gymnastics and Cheer Academy is on Commercial Court, off Tennent Road, Marlboro. Adamo and Martin Brodsky, of Marlboro, operate the 15,000-square-foot facility and offer training from babies up to elite level gymnasts.
“We pretty much want to take you out of the stroller and keep you until you go off to college, hopefully put you in a scholarship,” Brodsky said.
As for the talent of the young men working alongside him in the camp, Durante said he was impressed.
“When I was their age, I wasn’t even close to some of the stuff they can do now. It takes a long time to get to that level where you can actually say someone is going to be an Olympian. When I was their age, it was obviously a dream, but it wasn’t really something I thought was a possibility. You have to set those smaller goals along the way before you can really look at the Olympics as something that is a possibility or a reality.
“They all have potential. As long as they love the sport and continue to work at it and work hard and understand that it takes a long time to really develop into an elite athlete, then why not? Any one of them could be on the Olympic team,” Durante concluded.