GK Gymnastics

What GK Gymnastics does

GK Gymnastics (operating as GK Elite) is a privately held specialty apparel manufacturer founded in 1981 by Sallie Weaver and headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, under the legal entity Elite Sportswear, L.P. The company designs, produces, and sells gymnastics leotards, warm-ups, activewear, and accessories primarily through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce site gkelite.com, supplemented by a US sales team, an international sales team, and an authorized dealer and distributor network. Its proprietary GK Fit sizing system, developed over 40 years of athlete outfitting, relies on body measurements rather than standard clothing sizes, and the company supports custom designs through its UDESIGN360 online tool and special-order production with 5-8 week lead times.

GK's core customer base spans competitive gymnasts, gymnastics clubs and teams, youth gymnasts, men's gymnastics athletes, coaches, and wholesale dealers, with pricing ranging from approximately $15 for basic training leotards to $232 for premium technical warm-ups. The company has established an unusually strong endorsement portfolio, including exclusive signature collections with Olympic champions Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera, plus men's champion Sam Mikulak, and serves as the exclusive competition and training apparel provider for the USA Gymnastics National Team. Revenue derives from one-time unit sales across stock, special order, and fully custom products, supplemented by $185 custom design development fees, with no subscription or recurring revenue model.

The broader corporate portfolio includes licensed partnerships (Nike, Disney, Barbie, Swarovski), in-house proprietary fabric technologies (ActiveTek, DryTech, SoftLux, Shape Retention), and acquired sister brands Dolfin Swimwear and Omni Cheer, positioning GK as a vertically integrated specialty athletic apparel platform spanning gymnastics, cheerleading, and swimwear under a single parent entity.

Name

GK Gymnastics

Legal name

Elite Sportswear, L.P.

Website

https://gkelite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

GK Gymnastics (GK Elite) is a privately held, family-owned specialty apparel manufacturer founded in 1981 and based in Reading, PA, that designs, produces, and sells gymnastics leotards, warm-ups, activewear, and accessories to competitive gymnasts, clubs, teams, and dealers via DTC e-commerce, sales reps, and an authorized distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time purchase of gymnastics leotards, activewear, warm-ups, and accessories through e-commerce (gkelite.com) and dealer/retail channels. Products sold include stock items (ready to ship), special order items (custom embellishments), and fully custom designed garments. No subscription or recurring revenue model.
2. Custom Design Services: Custom design development fees for bespoke leotard designs. Requires $185 fee for custom design sample development (including design charges, set-up, 3 revisions, and finished garment production). Additional fees for revisions beyond included 3 rounds. Special order lead times of 5-8 weeks depending on customization level.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GK Gymnastics designs, manufactures, and sells gymnastics apparel including competitive and training leotards, warm-ups, activewear, and accessories. The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at gkelite.com and serves teams and clubs via dedicated US and international sales representatives and authorized dealers. Custom design services are offered through the proprietary UDESIGN360 online customization tool for bespoke leotard designs.

Product overview

GK Gymnastics (GK Elite) operates as a specialized gymnastics apparel e-commerce platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of products centered around gymnastics leotards and activewear. The core product line consists of leotards for women, men, and children available in training, competition, and special order configurations. The company offers customization through its UDesign360 tool, allowing teams and individuals to create personalized designs. GK maintains licensed partnerships (Nike, Disney, Barbie) and signature athlete collections (Simone Biles, Hezly Rivera, Jade Carey). The product ecosystem includes complementary categories such as warm-ups, activewear, and accessories, unified under the proprietary GK Fit sizing system. The company also offers cheer apparel through its GK Cheer brand and swimwear through Dolfin Swimwear and OmniCheer sister brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gymnastics Leotards Primary product category featuring competitive and training leotards for women including tank leotards, long sleeve leotards, basic leotards, GymTek leotards, special order leotards, and stock competition leotards. Used by gymnasts from recreational to international competition levels.
• Men's Gymnastics Apparel Men's gymnastics apparel including competition shirts, pants and shorts, warm-ups, and accessories designed for male gymnasts, including the Sam Mikulak signature collection.
• GKids Collection Kids' gymnastics leotard collection featuring age-appropriate designs for young gymnasts in various styles and colors, addressing the youth athlete market segment.
• Activewear Athletic apparel including crop tops, tees, tanks, sweatshirts, coaches apparel, workout shorts, capris, and leggings designed for gymnastics training and everyday athletic wear.
• Warm-Ups Gymnastics warm-up suits including jackets, pants, and full warm-up ensembles for competition days and travel. Available in fitted and relaxed fit styles featuring ActiveTek and DryTech fabric technologies. Price range $35-$232.
• Accessories Gymnastics accessories including bags and backpacks, training equipment, undergarments, hair accessories, shoes and slippers, and protective face masks.
• Cheer Apparel Cheerleading apparel including leotards and warm-ups designed for cheer teams, available through the GK Cheer brand.
• Special Order Leotards Custom-designed leotards created to customer specifications with custom colors, fabrics, and embellishments, supported by the UDESIGN360 customization tool. Production time of 5-8 weeks. Requires $185 fee for custom design sample development.
• Nike Licensed Leotards Licensed Nike gymnastics leotards featuring the Nike swoosh, including training and competition leotards for adults and youth, sold through gkelite.com under Nike licensing partnership.
• Simone Biles Signature Collection Exclusive signature collection designed in partnership with Olympic champion Simone Biles, featuring multiple leotard designs including Floral Force, Star Energy, Neon Force, Courage, Turquoise Bliss, and Pinstripe Rib styles, plus a Legacy collection.
• Hezly Rivera Signature Collection Signature collection designed in partnership with national team gymnast Hezly Rivera, featuring Candy Sky, Soft Spark, Silver Drift, and Lilac Sky tank leotard designs.
• Jade Carey Signature Collection Signature collection designed in partnership with Olympic gymnast Jade Carey, featuring Wildflower Tank Leotard and other exclusive styles.
• Disney Collection Licensed collection featuring gymnastics apparel with Disney character designs and themes, produced under Disney licensing partnership.
• Barbie Collection Licensed collection featuring gymnastics leotards with Barbie branding, including Dreamer, Malibu Sunset, and Iconic Sparkle designs, produced under Barbie (Mattel) licensing partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastest special order production times in the gymnastics apparel industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Simone BilesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlympic champion Simone Biles has an exclusive signature leotard collection with GK, featuring multiple styles including Floral Force, Star Energy, Neon Force, Courage, Turquoise Bliss, and Pinstripe Rib. She also has a Legacy collection. GK is the exclusive provider of Simone Biles branded gymnastics apparel.
• Suni LeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlympic champion Suni Lee has a dedicated signature leotard collection with GK featuring her personal style preferences.
• Jordan ChilescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlympic champion Jordan Chiles has a dedicated leotard collection with GK featuring her signature styles.
• Hezly RiveracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational team gymnast Hezly Rivera has a signature collection including Candy Sky, Soft Spark, Silver Drift, and Lilac Sky tank leotard styles.
• Jade CareycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlympic champion Jade Carey has a signature collection featuring Wildflower Tank Leotard and other exclusive styles.
• Sam MikulakcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMen's gymnastics champion Sam Mikulak has a dedicated men's collection featuring competition shirts and apparel designed for male gymnasts.
• USA GymnasticsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGK Elite is the exclusive provider of competition and training apparel for USA Gymnastics National Team athletes.
• NikecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGK produces and sells licensed Nike gymnastics leotards and apparel through gkelite.com. Nike branded products include training leotards, competition pieces, and replica styles featuring Nike's iconic swoosh.
• SwarovskicoreTechnology or IntegrationGK uses genuine Swarovski crystals for embellishment on premium competition leotards and special order items. Swarovski crystals provide high-quality sparkle and visual appeal for competition apparel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Destira: Gymnastics apparel brand founded by a former Olympic gymnast, competing head-to-head with GK in women's competitive leotards and team custom apparel. Directly comparable on product category and target customer (competitive gymnasts and clubs).
• Alpha Factor: Long-standing gymnastics apparel manufacturer and retailer offering competitive leotards, warm-ups, and team custom designs. Directly comparable as a gymnastics-specialized peer competing in both stock and custom team channels.
• Omni Cheer: Operates as a sister brand to GK under Elite Sportswear but functions as a comparable cheer apparel retailer for benchmarking purposes; sells cheer uniforms, shoes, and accessories to teams and individuals.
• Dolfin Swimwear: Acquired by GK in 2016 and operated as a sister brand under Elite Sportswear; competes in competitive swimwear/apparel and shares distribution channels, useful as a swim-category comp for GK's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Varsity Spirit: Largest cheerleading apparel and uniform company; competes directly with GK's Omni Cheer/GK Cheer line in cheer uniforms and warm-ups, and overlaps on the broader team-customization model.
• Nike: Broad-line athletic apparel incumbent and existing GK licensing partner; competes in gymnastics via Nike-branded leotards and in adjacent performance apparel/leisure wear, and sets the ceiling on athletic apparel brand value.
• Under Armour: Broad-line athletic apparel incumbent selling training and competition apparel overlapping with GK's activewear and warm-up categories, though without gymnastics-specific specialization.
• Adidas: Global athletic apparel incumbent competing with GK across gymnastics-adjacent apparel, footwear, and licensing, and relevant as a benchmark for international athletic apparel distribution scale.
• Champion: Heritage athletic apparel brand selling training and activewear overlapping with GK's activewear line; relevant comp on brand heritage and team-custom apparel history.

Emerging players

• Holloway Sportswear: Mid-size US team athletic apparel maker selling warm-ups, jackets, and team uniforms to schools, clubs, and gyms — overlapping GK's team sales channel with broader team-sport coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GKEliteSportswear
• Facebookfacebook.com/gkcheer
• Instagraminstagram.com/gkelite
• TikToktiktok.com/@gkelite_official
• Xx.com/gkelite
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gk-elite

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GK Gymnastics