After the Athens Olympics, Kyle moved across town to train at University of Calgary with Tony Smith, Canadian coach for 2003 Worlds and 2004 Olympics.
Tony & Lisa Smith, both full-time coaches
Tony has built the strongest Senior program in the country — Kyle trains there with Olympians Grant Golding & Nathan Gafuik.
Kelly, Sue & baby Barrett visit Calgary, Jan. 2005
Dec 28, '04 - Olympic Coach Manjak Ready to Coach New Stars
2004. What a year for Kelly Manjak!
e-mail Kelly
Kelly coached Kyle to a storybook Olympic Gold Medal on Floor Exercise and — just a week later — had a baby boy with his wife Susan, their first child. The happy parents, both coaches, had agreed that Kelly would stay in Athens through the Olympics even if the baby arrived early. Now that is dedication!
Kelly was recipient of the Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award & honoured with the Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award.
Kelly stopped coaching Kyle & left Altadore Gym Club in September 2004 after 14 years as Men’s Head Coach. He joined Gymnastics Mississauga in Toronto where he is coaching girls, a big switch.
Kyle has a strong, enduring relationship with his coach, however. In fact, Kyle stood as best man at Kelly Manjak’s wedding in 2004.
Kelly Manjak coached Kyle Shewfelt since the beginning (1988 or so). As Men’s Head Coach of the Altadore Gym Club, Kelly was a philosophical coach concerned more with the process of training than results in competition. He appreciates hard work. He enjoys watching kids make progress.
Kelly studies Kyle's pommel horse at Olympic trials
Kelly is not a stereotype hard-pushing coach. He believes that every gymnast is different; that every gymnast should take a different path in the sport.
Kelly at Worlds 2003
with Olympic judge Chris Grabowecky
(a former Altadore gymnast)
Kelly is a planner and a goal-setter. He seeks to provide a quality program for all levels of gymnasts. In this environment Kyle Shewfelt grew to become one of the best tumblers and vaulters in the world.
Kelly with Worlds 2003 Champion Svetlana Khorkina
photos © Grace Chiu, grace@webografix.ca
Kelly Manjak was awarded the prestigious CAC (Coaching Association of Canada) Coaching Excellence Award in 2003. The only other gymnastics coach to have won this honour was Masaaki Naosaki in 1988. Nao was the coach of Curtis Hibbert. GCG congratulated Kelly.
This award recognizes coaches whose athletes have won medals at the World Championships, Special Olympics World Games, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Kelly photos from Nationals 2001
Another coach who had a BIG influence on Kyle’s training is Hungarian Uldi Hadju now with Cirque du Soleil. Kelly was impressed with Uldi when he met him in Europe, inviting him to move to Canada to coach.
And lastly, Kyle & Kelly want to note the special contribution of Eugene Galperin who consulted for years on Kyle's career training plan.
Eugene was named Canada's Age Group National Coach in 2003 — but the photo below was taken in Canada when Eugene got his first coaching job after arriving from the former Soviet Union where he had developed many champions.
