About IRGA

We are located at 91 Grapevine Rd, Wenham, MA 01984


Iron Rail Gymnastics Academy was established in 1985 to provide the children from the surrounding communities with a quality gymnastics training program. Our school places great emphasis on safety and having fun.


All of our instructors are safety certified by the U.S.A.G. , (The governing body for all of gymnastics in the United States). The goal of our program is to help all the students achieve their potential and to have fun.


We offer our students the opportunity to participate on a recreational level as well as a team level. Our team level gymnasts participate at the local regional and national levels of competition. We have gymnastics teams for both boys and girls. Additionally, we have a martial arts program and we offer gymnastics birthday parties. The gym is a registered club with the USAG, AAU and USAIGC.

Meet Our Staff Members

Rich Healey

Owner of Iron Rail Gymnastics, Head Coach, Class Instructor

B.S.B.A. Graduate of the University of Mass (Amherst); Captain U.Mass Men's Gymnastics Team, former New England Team Champion; Former Head Coach Cape Cod Gymnastics; Mr. Healey is a Nationally safety certified coach by the USAG Safety Certification board. He holds PDP level 1 and Junior Olympic Skill Evaluator certifications from the USAG and is a nationally certified Trampoline and Tumbling coach.

Photo of our founder Christian Way

Christian Way

Founder, Girls Team Coach, Head Coach of the "Generals" gymnastics team for Hamilton/Wenham/Manchester/Essex Highschool

B.A., M.Ed. Graduate of the University of Mass (Boston State College); United States Marine Corps - E5 (Sergeant)- Honorable Discharge 1983. Certificate of study from Lenin Central Institute of Sports (Gymnastics training course), Moscow, Russia; . Former Collegiate New England Team Champion and NCAA nationally ranked competitor. Mr. Way is a Nationally safety certified coach by the USAG Safety Certification board. He holds PDP levels 1 & 2 and Junior Olympic Skill Evaluator certifications from the USAG and is a nationally certified Trampoline and Tumbling coach. Additionally, Mr. Way holds black belt rankings in two different Okinawan styles of karate and has been involved in the martial arts for over twenty years.

Erin Heckman

Office Administrator, Class Instructor

B.B.A., Graduate of Salem State College. Erin is a Nationally safety certified coach by the USAG. Erin is a former USAG and AAU Competitor and currently serves as the gyms head choreographer and Balance Beam coach.

Karl DaBritz

Boys Team Head Coach

Karl is head coach of our Boys Team. He has coached gymnasts at the regional and national level for many years, and has taken some of his students to training camps at the Olympic Training Center.

Ed Harding

Karate Sensei

A.S., Graduate of North Shore Community College Mr. Harding is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. He is the Head Instructor of our Martial Arts Program. He holds a fourth degree Black Belt in Okinawan Shorei Ryu.

Deena Bridger

Karate Sensei

Helen Bess

Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Graduate of Gordon College. Helen is a nationally safety certified coach by the USAG. She is a former USAG competitor. Helen is our resident choreographer.

Elliot Davis

Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Cullen Newby

Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Cullen is a nationally safety certified coach by the USAG. He coaches Team as well as his passions of tumbling, tricking, trampoline and parkour.

Nate Steggall

Boys Team Coach, Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Liam Gorman

Boys Team Coach, Class Instructor

Molly O'Loughlin

Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Lizzie Ranger

Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Mayra Olivera

Girls Team Coach, Class Instructor

Jason Calandra

Birthday Party Instructor