Coach Tabitha Yim, a native of Irvine, California, is an elite level gymnast, who also trained as a competitive figure skater and reached the novice level.

“California is extremely diverse, and I enjoyed being surrounded by many different cultures. I also grew up with a lot of family close by so it was wonderful having such a strong support network. My mom wanted to sign me up for ballet, but I was too young so she put me in gymnastics with my brother. I quickly fell in love with the sport, and the rest is history!”

In 1998, Yim began training at Charter Oak Gliders gymnastics club in Covina, California. She quickly climbed the junior international elite ranks and won the silver medal in the all-around in the junior division at the 1999 U.S. National Championships.  

Seen as a junior international elite to watch for her expressive dance and strong balance beam performances, Yim quickly progressed to become one of the top U.S. gymnasts during the 2001-2004 quadrennium.

“As an athlete, I enjoyed the performance aspect of the sport and was known more for my artistry than power.”

Following her elite career, Yim, who returned to coach her alma mater back in the summer of 2017, is steadily rebuilding the Stanford program and has guided the team to two meet championships in 2019. She has been coaching Singapore’s pride, Tan Sze En, for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 since late 2020 when Sze En returned to the US to start the winter quarter of her freshman year at Stanford.

“Sze En has shown incredible courage and resilience to realize her Olympic dream. We are grateful for the support she has received from her coaches at Legacy Elite and through the Singapore Gymnastics network. Our number one goal is to keep Sze En healthy and to prepare her to perform on beam and floor in Tokyo. We have been extremely strategic with her training and hope she will thoroughly enjoy her experience at the Olympics. “

Yim's thoughts on the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I grew up watching the Olympics with my family and have always believed it is the pinnacle of sport! I love the courage, heart and camaraderie displayed by the athletes and have a tremendous amount of respect for the hard work and sacrifice each athlete makes to realize their Olympic dream. “

“My heart goes out to all the athletes whose plans were delayed due to the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I cannot imagine the emotional rollercoaster all the athletes have persevered through and have a lot of pride and respect for everyone who has been able to continue pushing forward towards their dreams.”

Coach Yim thinks taking a step back always helps put things in perspective. She mentioned that the pandemic gave athletes a chance to reflect on the things they truly love about their sport and believes that sport has the power to contribute to the recovery from the pandemic.

“It is so inspiring to watch athletes who are pushing the boundaries in their sport. It is a gift to witness the talent, skill and precision required to excel on the grandest stage, and it truly brings people together and fills them with joy. “