Athlete Leadership Council
The gymSAFE Athlete Leadership Council is a selected group of competitive gymnasts (or retired competitive gymnasts) who commit to 1 year of participation in the growth and development of the organization. Being a part of the Athlete Leadership Council is an opportunity for current gymnasts to have their voice heard in the movement toward improving the sport of gymnastics and upholding the mission and vision of gymSAFE. The council members are responsible for event planning, social media presence, and inter-club communication. They meet on a weekly basis for 30 min - 1 hour. Athletes submit an application which asks them to explain their reason for wanting to be part of the council, relevant past experience and skills, and ideas for improving the organization. The application is reviewed by the gymSAFE founders. Each new council starts in January.
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Nadia Herrera-Set
President
Nadia Herrera-Set is a current third year student at Northeastern University majoring in Public Health with a minor in Spanish. She also currently hopes to go to medical school. She has been a gymnast her whole life and prior to moving to Boston for college, she competed JO and finished off her senior year of high school as a level 9. Nadia now competes as a part of Northeastern’s Club Gymnastics team.
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Lucia Herrera-Set
Vice President
Lucia Herrera-Set is a former level 9 gymnast and a freshman at Northeastern University. She feels that it is very important to keep gymnasts safe throughout the entire year, both physically and mentally, to maintain a healthy and fun relationship with gymnastics. A big reason she joined the Athlete Leadership Council is because she understands the physical and mental challenges of being a gymnast.
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Kassandra Lopez
Fundraising and Grants Manager
Kassandra Lopez was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. She started her gymnastics career when she was 9 years old and continued it through college at the University of Utah. She has worked in clinical research for the past 7 years and has coached gymnastics off and on in her free time since retiring. Having dealt with injuries throughout her gymnastics career, she has become more and more interested in seeking out ways for future generations of gymnasts to have a safe and healthy career.
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Kimberlee Hu
Education Content Manager
Kimberlee is a former gymnast and currently a first-year physical therapy student at UCSF. She was inspired to get involved with gymSAFE because of the emphasis on education and prevention in gymnasts' overall health. Gymnastics is a demanding, rigorous, and challenging sport. She admires how gymSAFE aims to address the many aspects of gymnasts' health and safety.
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Elle Horst
Marketing and Social Media Manager
Elle Horst is a junior at Brown University studying Business and Economics. She joined gymSAFE to combine her passions for marketing and business strategy with the gymSAFE mission of promoting injury prevention and mental wellness in gymnastics. Elle did gymnastics for 15 years before retiring as a level 9 gymnast her junior year of high school, but still tumbles when she can!
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Sarah Brownstein
Research and Education Coordinator
Sarah Brownstein was an NCAA gymnast at College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She completed her degrees in Kinesiology and Mathematics. After countless injuries over 18 years of gymnastics along with several surgeries, she has come to realize just how hard gymnastics can be on the body. Sarah plans to continue her education by pursuing a PhD in biomechanics in hopes of doing research on injury reduction in sports, especially gymnastics.
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Cara Augustine
Website Editor
Cara is the website manager for gymSAFE's Athlete Leadership Council. She is 16 years old and is a sophomore in high school. Cara is currently a Level 8 gymnast and recreational coach from Gold Star Gymnastics. Cara joined gymSAFE ALC because she loves gymnastics and wants to support as many gymnasts as possible in having a safe and fulfilling experience in this sport.