Nittany Gymnastics hold successful charity event to honor former owner Mike Rizzuto

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: February 28, 2019

Recently, Nittany Gymnastics Academy held a Cartwheel-A-Thon and a Ninja Roll-A-Thon, benefitting the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) in honor of their late owner, Mike Rizzuto, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in October 2018. Rizzuto has been the owner and head coach of Nittany Gymnastics, Inc. for the past 29 years, along with his wife, Jeannette.

Born in Johnson City, NY in 1955, Rizzuto’s passion for coaching began at Franklin & Marshall, where his passion ignited as the Assistant Gymnastics coach at F&M and as a coach at the Lancaster Gymnastics School. After serving as head coach at Dartmouth College in the late 1970s, Rizzuto moved to North Carolina and became head coach and owner of Triangle Twisters Gymnastics Center. In addition to his successful career in coaching and owning various gymnastics teams, Rizzuto also co-founded the Centre Bulldogs Youth Football League in Centre County.

Mike’s passion to coach gymnasts to the highest level possible produced multiple collegiate gymnasts who have competed across the country over the past 29 years and are continuing to compete for Mid-Atlantic Universities. More importantly, his disciplined athletic training style impacted thousands of young athletes in each community he lived and coached; whether it was gymnastics, football, baseball or any sport he coached. He is missed very much and we, at Nittany Gymnastics proudly continue his legacy in the sport he so loved.

Approximately 450 gymnasts participated in the event, in which they had one minute to complete as many cartwheels or ninja rolls as possible. The event exceeded expectations, raising upwards of $4,000 that benefits the local PurpleStride walk event organized by PanCAN, which the Nittany Gymnastics Academy has been involved in since Mike’s diagnosis. PurpleStride Northeastern PA will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, in Scranton, PA.

In case you weren’t aware, pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. with a five-year survival rate of only 9 percent. Nittany Gymnastics Academy’s donation to PanCAN will go toward attacking this terrible disease on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy.