Guard Young: Mormon Athlete

Guard Wayne Young is an Olympic silver medalist and gymnastic coach.

Young took silver with his team at the 2004 Olympic Games in 2004 and went coached at Oklahoma University (2000–2005, 2011–2015) and Brigham Young University, where he is head coach of the women’s gymnastics program. From 2005 to 2011, he coached in Northern California and eventually opened several preschool gyms in the state, calling his business Youngsters.

His father, Wayne Young—who was the 1976 Olympic team captain and head coach of BYU’s men’s gymnastics team (1979–1987)—was his first coach. He was the 1996 junior national champion and earned three junior national team berths while training under Mark Williams at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in Norman, Oklahoma. All of his siblings were also gymnasts.

Young won six All-America awards and two NCAA National Championships while at BYU. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications in 2001. He was inducted to the BYU Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was born on June 3, 1977, in State College, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Alisha, have three children. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.