- December 13, 2025
Palm Coast Gymnastics athletes celebrate with Kaiya Brown (center) at her signing ceremony. Brown signed a full gymnastics scholarship with Temple University. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Kaiya Brown signs a gymnastics letter intent with Temple University. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Kaiya Brown (second from left) with Palm Coast Gymnastics teammates Anna Schwartz (left) and Eva Iannarelli (right) with Coach Kelly Flagler. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Gymnastics held a celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 12, as Mainland High School senior Kaiya Brown signed a letter of intent to continue her gymnastics career at Temple University.
Brown is the first athlete from the Palm Coast gym to receive a full gymnastics scholarship at a Division I university, Palm Coast Gymnastics owner and coach, Kelly Flagler, said.
“She's really set the bar for us, which is really exciting for the future of the girls here,” Flagler said.
Brown has been a competitive gymnast since she was 6 years old. When she was 10, she was selected for the TOPS (Talent Opportunity Program) National A Team. She is a multiple state champion, a regional qualifier and an Eastern National Championship qualifier in Level Nine.
She is very good at all four events. She is an all-around strong athlete. She has power, and she has grace.
— KELLY FLAGLER, Palm Coast Gymnastics owner
“She is very good at all four events,” Flagler said. “She is an all-around strong athlete. She has power, and she has grace. She's flexible. She tumbles sky high. She vaults sky high. Her release moves are huge on bars. Her form is really good. So, that's kind of the package.”
Brown said she’s always wanted to be a collegiate gymnast.
“I never wanted to second guess or think that I wasn’t able to reach that goal,” she said. “So, I’ve always been persistent and very determined, and it really paid off, and I’m really excited to attend Temple.”
Brown went to a gymnastics camp at the Philadelphia university during the summer before her sophomore year of high school. During her official visit, she said she fell in love with the university, the city, the coaches and the team.
“All the girls made me feel so welcomed, and everything about it was just perfect,” she said. “I knew that it was the place for me.”
Brown has worked hard to achieve her dream, but she has not been fixated on one part of her life. At Mainland, she is involved in the Student Government Association, the Student Advisory Team and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Leadership Team. She is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She has taught bible classes to elementary school students at Calvary Christian. She is dual-enrolled at Daytona State College and will earn her associate degree along with her high school diploma. Last spring she was crowned Miss Mainland. She also has a job and volunteers in her community.
At Palm Coast Gymnastics, she won the Charlie’s Angels Award, which is based on leadership, work ethic, helping out where needed and being a good role model for the younger athletes.
“It’s unbelievable, all she does,” Flagler said. “It shows that she’s learned very good time management. She can handle stress. You can put her in any situation, she’s going to shine.”
Brown was joined at the signing by her parents and younger brother as well as the gym’s other gymnasts, including her longtime friends and teammates, Anna Schwartz and Eva Iannarelli.
Gymnastics was always Kaiya’s choice, her mom, Chairese Brown, said. “Mommy and Me” classes led to young Kaiya wanting to be a competitive gymnast when she was 5, Chairese said.
“My husband and I talked it over, and we said, no. It's too involved, too much of a commitment for her at such a young age, but she was very persistent,” Chairese said.
When they were attending a birthday party at a gymnastics gym in Ormond Beach, Kaiya convinced her mom to sign her up. They were told that for the first year she would learn skills before she would be able to compete. That plan lasted about 15 minutes into her first class, Chairese said.
The head coach had taken Kaiya aside to work on skills, and at the end of the class she told Chairese that they would like Kaiya to compete at their next meet, just two weeks later.
Brown, who joined Palm Coast Gymnastics in 2017, is now a Level 10 gymnast. Her goal this spring is to make the Level 10 nationals.
“That’s been my goal for a while,” she said. “It’s really hard to make it. Our region is super competitive, but I'm going to work really hard this season, and I hope I accomplish that goal.”
Brown plans to major in advertising at Temple. She said she wants to be a positive force for her team and her university.
“I want to make an impact on the team in all the events that I can, and just contribute as much I can to the girls, just being a light,” she said. “I want to be able to represent the Owls with pride.”
