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Wlaf1450Gymnast with local roots working towards Olympics
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
By Charlotte Underwood
POWELL, TN (WLAF)- A young gymnast with Campbell County roots continues working towards the Olympics and is having an “amazing competition season.” Zaiden Kyte lives in Powell, and his grandmother Debbie Hill lives in La Follette.
Hill said she could not be prouder of her grandson and his accomplishments, hard work and perseverance.
Kyte is a very successful gymnast locally and nationally and has had a ”phenomenal” competition season. His “ultimate goal is to make it to the Olympics.”
Kyte competes as a Level 10 Junior Elite gymnast for GymTek Academy and is coached by Matt Henry.
He started the year in January 2026 at a competition hosted at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, where he achieved his highest floor score of the season with an outstanding 14.2. He then traveled to Galveston, Texas, to compete in the Open Team Cup, performing against other highly competitive athletes.
His competition season continued in Roswell, Georgia, where Kyte finished top all around in his division.
February concluded with the prestigious Elite Team Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, where the top 10 athletes from Region 4 faced off with competitors from six other regions across the country. Region 4 earned the gold medal, with all athletes, including Kyte, “contributing to the team’s victory under the leadership and support of dedicated regional coaches.”
Kyte recently competed, at the Tennessee State Meet in Hendersonville, and placed first on both the pommel horse and the high bar and was honored with the “Athlete of the Year” award, voted on by coaches and staff.
His travels soon take him to Regionals in Georgia, for more competitions, followed by Nationals in Oklahoma City, and potentially the Xfinity Championships in Arizona this August.
“He puts in the blood and the sweat, and I do the tears,” his grandmother said. She also said she is so incredibly proud of her grandson and all the hard work he has put in towards his goal.
“He is just a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal young man,” Hill said.
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini at ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/06/2026-6AM-PHOTOS SUBMITTED)