San Angelo Central girls gymnastics coach Tony Walker wins GAT Life Member award
Tony Walker's name has been synonymous with high school gymnastics in the state of Texas for nearly 40 years and the longtime San Angelo Central Lady Cats guru has joined an elite group of honorees.
Earlier this month, Walker was selected as the Gymnastics Association of Texas' Life Member award winner for his many years of outstanding service and achievements in the sport.
During a 36-year coaching career at Central that started in 1987, Walker has guided the Lady Cats to 12 state titles, 25 district titles, 25 regional titles and one national title.
The Lady Cats currently hold the state championships team scoring record for girls, and Walker's athletes have garnered seven individual state-record holders and 32 individual state champs.
And now Walker's on a list of GAT Life Members, including former Olympic coaches.
"It's cool meeting all of these people and being in the same environment with them," Walker said. "So we're being recognized kind of for the same accomplishments, just in a different field, and mine obviously has been high school gymnastics. And so it's an honor. It's not something I ever anticipated or expected."
The GAT is the governing body for all things gymnastics in the state of Texas.
"Simone Biles' club would fall under the Gymnastics Association of Texas and that sort of thing," Walker said of the U.S. Olympic great.
Walker has been named Region III Coach of the Year eight times, State Coach of the Year nine times, and Girls National Team Coach of the Year twice.
In 2014, Walker was selected as the San Angelo Independent School District's Teacher of the Year. He is currently the longest-tenured coach on the Central campus.
As an athlete, Walker had a background in soccer and track and field, but he never competed in gymnastics.
He got interested in the sport when he was required to take a gymnastics course at Texas A&M University.
In 1985, Texas A&M hosted the Texas High School Gymnastics State Championships and Walker became aware that the sport was offered at high schools.
As a student teacher at Richardson High School in 1986, Walker was assigned to gymnastics coach Annette Reynolds and he rubbed elbows with other district gymnastics coaches Denise Coates, Greg Larimer and Sam Siedel.
And then in 1987, Walker was hired as the girls gymnastics coach at Central, a position he's held for the better part of four decades.
Before he was brought on, the late James White, for whom the Central gymnastics building is named after, was juggling coaching both the boys and girls teams.
Adding Walker to the mix allowed White (who is also a GAT Life Member) to give the boys team his total concentration and let Walker develop into one of the most-successful coaches in the state as well.
Every year, the GAT has a banquet in Austin and awards are presented, including the Life Member award. It's been given out every year since 1967.
Longtime Central boys coach Kern Arrott and Walker go to the banquet every year, but this time was a little different.
"There was a surprise in that Kern was the one who ended up reading my bio at the conference and awarding it to me," Walker said. "I didn't know that was going to happen.
"Kern and I, we've kind of been in this together in a sense. He helps me and I help him. It was a tremendous honor, especially being a high school coach and being recognized by people who are incredibly talented through the years in the sport. So it was kind of cool."
Rodney Chant, the SAISD Executive Director of Athletics, gave his thoughts on Walker on the district website.
"Coach Walker has been a staple of high school gymnastics in Texas for many years. His legacy is not just the multiple state championships he has won but more importantly the young ladies he graduates that grow up to be vital parts of society. This award could not have gone towards a more deserving person," Chant said.
Longtime Central principal Bill Waters spoke about the beloved Lady Cats coach as well on the web page.
"Tony Walker is a LEGEND! Not only is he a Champion, but he is a true role model for both his students and all educators," Waters said. "His program should be a model for all others! Coach Walker is a class-act, a true gentleman, and a friend. I am both excited and proud for Coach Walker -- he is beyond deserving of this award."
Counting their blessings
It's been a very challenging year for the Walker family.
Tony's wife, Sherrie, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in January and it metastasized to other parts of her body.
"She is doing better," her husband said. "She's made it through all four of her surgeries. At the beginning of this when it started back in January, kind of her goal was to be able to make it through all this and be able to go to our cabins in Colorado in the month of September and she was able to accomplish that.
"We consider that a blessing. She's had a good time up there and she started back to work (this past Monday). So for now, things are going pretty good and we'll just keep a watch on it and play it day by day."
The Walkers and their children -- Cameron, Braden and Addison -- have leaned on their faith and prayers from family and friends during this tough time.
Sherrie Walker is the director of adult ministries at First United Methodist Church.
Her cancer started to spread into her bones and down her spinal cord.
"She had to have two hip replacements and a masectomy surgery and another surgery," Walker said. "And she's been through chemo through all this. She kind of had it hit all at once, but thank God for the doctors for the way that they aggressively handled it because most likely had they not, she wouldn't be here. And thank God for all that and what they did for her."
A Go Fund Me page was started back in February for Sherrie Walker.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: San Angelo Central girls gymnastics coach wins Life Member award
