Flooding at Gymnastics World in south Lee County raises community alarm

SOUTH LEE COUNTY, Fla.—Every rainfall, storm, and hurricane brings a familiar and unwanted guest to Gymnastics World in South Lee County—flooding. 

The gym, a beloved community hub for families and athletes, struggles with water seeping into its facilities.

Sharon Ferrell, an employee of Gymnastics World, shared her concerns with WINK News during a WINK Listens event.

"I moved here 10 years ago," said Ferrell. "I lived in Delaware, and I loved the warm weather, and then I had to find a job. And so I interviewed. I had lots of offers, but one day, I pulled into the parking lot of Gymnastics World. I cry because I'm emotional. I called my husband, and I said, If I get offered this job, I'm going to take it. This place feels like home."

Ferrell and many others have had to deal with constant rebuilding and cleaning due to the flooding, which has become a significant issue for the gym.

Lauren Ring, who has been coming to the gym for years, spoke about her experiences with the flooding.

"My kids come here. My older kids both came here, and I also went here," said Ring. "And forget it if we have a big storm, if there's a lot of rain for days and days, the whole gym floods, and it's an astronomical amount of damage."

Gymnastics World, built 50 years ago off U.S. 41, now finds itself in a low spot due to new developments, leading to water flooding in rather than draining away.

"Now keep in mind, every year we try everything anybody suggests, from you know, we've had surveyors come out, all kinds of people that just tell us we don't really have a lot of options other than drainage," said Ferrell.

In the summer of 2024, Ferrell submitted a "Request for Action" to Lee County in an effort to address the issue.

"And sure enough, like a couple of days later, there were gentlemen out there digging in the area by our mailbox, off by old U.S. 41, and I went out, and I spoke to him, and he said, You know, I don't know anything about the RFA," said Ferrell. "We're just out here. We're adding drainage to help alleviate all of the flooding that happens with Island Park down."

A Lee County spokesperson tells WINK News that the county responded to the Request For Action by assigning a roadway crew to clean the swales and create a ditch plan, which included grade inspections, mowing of the slopes, and flushing the pipes along Old 41.

However, Ferrell remains concerned about the drainage system's effectiveness.

"What can we do? What are our options? How do we fix this so that we don't? I fear more for the gym every year than I do my own home in a hurricane," said Ferrell.

The county explained that, while they maintain swales and have a flood protection project along the 10-Mile Canal, it would be up to Gymnastics World to address flooding on its private property by raising the elevation of its parking lot.

Here is the guidance from Lee County if you need to check on the state of a Request For Action:

Citizens can follow up on an RFA they have submitted at any time by calling our DOT Operations division at 239-533-9400 and requesting to speak with 'Request for Action' or by emailing RFA@leegov.com for updates. RFAs may also be submitted directly online here. 

When a requester calls in, we also provide them with a request number to reference if they would like to call Operations later for follow-up. 

Once the request has been assigned to a specific department, the caller can also speak directly with that department's maintenance supervisor for more detailed updates. 

Staff is available Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. through 5 p.m. to assist callers.