Misty Brown grew up in Beaufort County, attended Washington High School and participated in the school’s cheerleading squad. With limited facilities and other sports taking precedence when it came to practice space, Brown and her fellow cheer mates were forced to prepare wherever they were able. Brown continued coaching all-star cheerleading after high school and continues to this day.

Husband Charlie participated in competition cheerleading, as well, throughout high school in Southern Pines, and the couple dreamt of giving local cheerleaders and tumblers a place to train. In 2012, the two opened the Tumble B Gym, becoming one of the county’s only facilities for tumblers, cheerleaders and the like.

“It started out more as a tumbling facility where we wanted to help the local high schools to give them a safe place with quality instruction but also offer tumbling to kids 18 months up to 18 years old,” Misty Brown said. “I grew up here, and we didn’t have a facility we could train in. This has been kind of a dream of ours. It’s going more and more gymnastics-based where you have to have tumbling and flexibility skills. The local high schools needed that, and we saw it was something we could offer.”

The gym was originally located on West Fifth Street in Washington where it stayed for three years. Recently, the Browns made the move to a bigger space on Market Street to accommodate an expanding program, Misty Brown said.

The expansion has come from not only the facility’s niche itself, but through the wide range of programs it offers, including a class allotted for moms or dads and their toddlers, classes for the up-and-coming school or competition cheerleaders, and an afterschool program, among others. The gym also partners with local coaches to strengthen instruction for area athletes through summer camps.

“We work with them in the summer and teach them routines and tumbling, and they come back the remainder of the season for safety, tumbling and stunting,” Misty Brown said. “The coaches like that partnership because it allows them to grow, and it allows the kids to grow and do larger competitions.”

The gym is home to the Washington Elite Allstars, a competition cheer squad that has seen national play, and the Browns hope to instill their love of cheerleading to pupils and groom them to be just that — elite.

“This is our passion. To be able to share this (facility) that I didn’t have with the kids here means a lot,” Misty Brown said. “For them to have something here that they don’t have to drive hours away to go to is a great thing. We hope it will help them develop some of the same passions. It will be kind of a gateway if they want to continue doing this in college or after.”

Tumble B also comes complete with a full staff from various backgrounds ranging from cheerleading to gymnastics, which plays a big role in the shaping of area athletes.

Northside High School student and cheerleader Madison Tankard said the gym has played a huge role in bringing the NHS squad together as a team and honing vital skills needed for both competition and school cheerleading.

“Since we don’t have a tumbling tack or mat, coming to Tumble B really helped,” Tankard said. “It’s really cool because we have people that have actually been there. (Misty Brown) helped us tighten up on our emotions and come together as a team more. It really helps because (the staff) knows what to do. I really like it because it gives you a safe, fun environment to better your skills and strengthen your team.”

Tumble B Gym is located at 307 N Market St. in downtown Washington and is open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays. Summer hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.