ORLANDO, Fla -  The Oklahoma AAU District announced its volunteer and athlete of the year award recipients.

Debbie Simonson, a coach and administrator in the sport of Gymnastics, was honored as the 2020 Oklahoma AAU Volunteer of the Year Award for her contributions to the sport of Gymnastics and her dedication to growing Gymnastics in Oklahoma. 

Gymnast Britney Mackey was named the 2021 Nate Fleming Oklahoma AAU Athlete of the Year for her oustanding performances throughout the 20-21 gymnastic season. 

Read below for bio details and congratulations! 

Debbie Simonson - 2020 Oklahoma AAU Volunteer of the Year 

Debbie Started gymnastics in 1970 and competed till 1976 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.  She began assistant coaching in 1972 and bought her first gym in 1995 in Dover Delaware where she had recreational and  competitive gymnastics along with competitive  cheerleading.  

She has had the opportunity to travel all over the US and Russia with her gymnastics.  In 2008 she moved to Oklahoma and opened her gym in 2009 in Shawnee.   She has been a meet director, USAIGC state chairman, gym owner,  and NAWGJ member.  

Debbie has worked with cheer squads, twirlers, and dancing schools creating choreography.  She currently helps with the local schools, and is on the auxiliary board for Project Safe in Shawnee.  Her favorite time is being out on the floor with the students teaching them the wonderful world of gymnastics!
 
She was nominated for Volunteer of the Year because of being on our state gymnastics board and the judging liaison. She was the one that gyms contacted for rules interpretations and modifications. She handled all of those for the Women's side of AAU.
 
Britney Mackey - 2021Nate Fleming Oklahoma AAU Athlete of the Year
 
Prior to the pandemic, Britney and her teammates had only competed in two gymnastics competitions, for the 2019-2020 Season.  On February 21, 2020 – we were competing at Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy.  During warm-up, Britney jumped for the High Bar and fell, dislocating her elbow. Then, the pandemic forced all gymnastics centers, across the State of Oklahoma and the United States, to close their doors, the month of March 2020.  An entire season was lost. 

The gymnastics centers were able to cautiously re-open, with restrictions, approximately 12 weeks later.  Britney and her teammates returned to training, with the hope and prayers to be able to compete for the 2020-2021 Season, which would begin in November 2020.  With restrictions set in place, the Oklahoma AAU Gymnastics competition season was able to resume!

Britney started her 2020-21 competition season as a 13-year-old AAU XCEL Level Gold gymnast.  She started her new season with excellence at the 2020 McAlester Invitational by earning the 1st Place All-Around award, placing first on Vault, Beam, and Floor, with an All-Around score of 37.550!  An outstanding beginning that opened the door to her successful 2020-2021 competition season.

During the season, Britney competed in nine (9) AAU Xcel Level Gold competitions, earning seven (7) 1st Place All-Around titles and two (2) 3rd Place All-Around titles.  Her greatest triumph was the weekend of April 9-11, 2021, at the Oklahoma AAU Advanced State Championship, where thirty (30) Gymnastics centers, across Oklahoma, nine (9) AAU Xcel and Compulsory Levels and 496 gymnasts competed at Victory Gymnastics, Norman, Oklahoma. It was there that Britney earned her seventh 1st Place All-Around Award. 

Not only did she place 1st Place All-Around in her division, Britney is deservedly the number one AAU Advanced Gymnast in the State of Oklahoma, out of 496 gymnasts!  She turned 14 years old the next day.