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INDUCTEE

Ellen Garlicki Nyemcsik

Class of 2010· Disciplines(s): Rhythmic· Inducted as: Lifetime Achievement

Nyemcsik of Hackensack, N.J., has been instrumental in the growth and organization of U.S. rhythmic gymnastics. She has been involved at all levels (athlete, administrator, coach, judge).

In 1973, Nyemcsik became the first rhythmic Region 5 chairperson when Rhythmic Gymnastics officially became a discipline of the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (now doing business as USA Gymnastics). In addition to organizing the region, she started a member newsletter about the region’s activities.

She was also competing, coaching, and judging rhythmic. She attended her first international judge’s class in 1976 and went on to earn her international Brevet status. Nyemcsik, who served on several national rhythmic committees, proposed developing written rules, which resulted in rhythmic’s first operating code and rules and policies in the early 1980s. She has judged many domestic and international events, including the 1996 Olympic Games.

An artistic gymnast in high school and college, Nyemcsik first learned of rhythmic gymnastics in 1971 while she was both competing and teaching artistic gymnastics. She decided to switch to rhythmic and competed in the first National Championships in Downers Grove, Ill., in 1973. Nyemcsik became a member of the first USA Group National Team, competing in both the 1978 Pan Pacific Championships and 1979 World Championships.

After performing in exhibitions for a year, she retired and established her own business selling rhythmic gymnastics apparatus. Nyemcsik graduated from William Paterson College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in health and physical education.