Extreme Cheer & Tumble (ECT), which teaches gymnastics, cheer, trampoline and tumbling, and karate, will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026.
In Dec. 2001, Bridget Wiley rented space in a karate studio located in Academy, Texas, opening her first classes. Now with two locations, one in Killeen and the other in Temple, 1,500 youth are enrolled in afterschool programs, mommy and me classes, to competitive classes.
ECT’s mission statement reads, “To provide quality gymnastics and cheerleading instruction in a safe and fun environment that helps athletes learn, grow, and strive to the best they can be!”
Wiley, after outgrowing the Academy space, said she reached out to AC Boston to secure a building several years later, and he added onto their building because they needed to grow.
Wiley’s husband, David Freddy, an insurance adjuster, built the Killeen gym in 2011.
“My husband and I both grew up there for a short period of time because we were army brats.”
Speaking about the Temple location that opened in 2014, Wiley said, “I have a very dear friend, Barbara Proctor…this was their family land…they sold me this property, and so I was able to build. And then, in 2024 when the tornado hit, we took a direct hit and another total rebuild.” Again, Freddy built the gym.
With their ten 15-passenger vans, the Temple location picks up students at all Belton schools and two Temple schools for their after-school programs.
Wiley spoke about where she began and what drives her today.
“I started out by coaching at 15 in exchange for classes. But I always loved the sport, and I love the kids even more. Gymnastics was, like, my first love.”
Colleen Dittmer began coaching for ECT almost from the start.
“My athletes are with me at least nine hours a week. Your words matter, what I say, or how I say it. It works on their self-confidence. It works on their self-discipline. It works on so many different levels.”
Dittmer added, “We treat everyone like family. Bridget invested in all of her coaches. We took a class this entire summer on 3D coaching. Coaching the heart, the body, and the mind to make sure that we had every tool to benefit every single child. When you teach a child a love for something, the sky’s the limit. There’s always going to be hard things, but if you’re patient and work through it with them, they realize that they can do this. I’m grateful for the athletes that I’ve been blessed to work with.”
Dustin Adams had decided to try out for his high school cheer team back in 2011 when he was 15.
A friend who worked at ECT invited him to practice together after work. That day, with his experience, he was asked to teach cheer.
“The past 15 years, it’s definitely been a home and something that has just shaped me to be the human being I am today and helped shape my career,” Adams said, who is also a coach and in-house choreographer.
“When you find the people who believe in you the most, stick to them and remember that you can go far by yourself, but you can go even further when you have someone by your side.”
Plans for ECT’s 25th anniversary include an update to its website.
“We are revamping our already excellent curriculum. It’s a really great flow chart to be able to show where kids can advance to be on a competitive team.”
Extreme Cheer & Tumble is located at 1402 E Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen and 20 Old Waco Road in Temple. Their website is
www.extremecheer-tumble.com.
