EPISODE · Jul 6, 2026 · 1H 3M
The Code Decoder | UpGrade Gymnastics | John Scallon
from The Game of Gymnastics · host Winston Powell
ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with John Scallon, a former NCAA Division 1 pommel horse specialist at the University of Minnesota turned high school coach and app builder. John walks through his unusual path through the sport, the corporate detour that pulled him out of it, the moment that pulled him back in, and how all of that led to him building two gymnastics apps: First, a morning routine app for athletes, and Upgrade, a video library for the Code of Points. KEY TAKEAWAYS: John only started gymnastics as a sophomore in high school, became a pommel specialist, and earned a Division 1 scholarship in two and a half years without ever doing a backflip or holding a handstand. Years in corporate website optimisation taught him how to read user intent and build experiences that feel like the product is reading your mind, exactly the lens he now uses to design tools for gymnasts. Coming home after a relationship ended reconnected him to his old coach and the sport, and a chance gym visit turned into a high school coaching role that became central to his life again. His app First reframes a science-backed morning routine as a seventh men's artistic event, scored out of 10, with each habit weighted by how much it supports circadian rhythm and athletic performance. His core insight: the day circle works exactly like a pommel circle. Pike it, cut a corner, and you pay for it on the other side. Flatten it and every other skill becomes easier. Upgrade is his Code of Points video library app, pulling the best YouTube footage of every skill into one organised, browsable home so gymnasts and coaches can see what skills actually look like at the top level. The vision goes beyond skills. Eventually it could host drills, progressions, and elite-coached courses, becoming an online academy for anyone in a gym without access to high level coaching. Gymnastics is shrinking at the grassroots and the NCAA level. John's bigger dream is reviving community spaces like old YMCAs and borrowing entertainment lessons from things like Savannah Bananas style baseball to grow audiences and make the sport sustainable. BEST MOMENTS: "I learned the circle, and then learning the skills is just putting your hands in different places." "The day circle functions the same as pommel horse. If you cut a part of the circle short, you have a debt that pays for it on the opposite side." "What sports are so dedicated to being aesthetically pleasing? Gymnastics is a really bizarre union of strength and grace." "Sleep is the biggest performance enhancing drug." "If you're really a gymnast at heart, watching these videos is going to completely change your life." "The kid is motivated, you show them the path, you get them excited about it. That can all happen in a year." JOHN'S LINKS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/first-morning-routine/id6757344123 https://www.upgradegymnastics.com LINKS: Website: https://winstonpowell.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wpowell05/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@winstonpowell5 E-book: https://payhip.com/b/f6RjV ABOUT THE HOST: As a member of the Senior Great Britain Squad, Winston Powell brings firsthand experience to every episode. His achievements include being the Under 18 English Champion in 2023 and reaching the finals in three events at the Junior World Championships the same year: the All-Around, Parallel Bars, and Horizontal Bar finals, qualifying 7th for the All-Around. With five international appearances as a GB gymnast, he has gained invaluable insights into the sport's highest levels. His passion for gymnastics, combined with his deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by elite athletes, makes him the perfect guide to exploring the strategies and stories behind gymnastics success.
What this episode covers
ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with John Scallon, a former NCAA Division 1 pommel horse specialist at the University of Minnesota turned high school coach and app builder. John walks through his unusual path through the sport, the corporate detour that pulled him out of it, the moment that pulled him back in, and how all of that led to him building two gymnastics apps: First, a morning routine app for athletes, and Upgrade, a video library for the Code of Points. KEY TAKEAWAYS: John only started gymnastics as a sophomore in high school, became a pommel specialist, and earned a Division 1 scholarship in two and a half years without ever doing a backflip or holding a handstand. Years in corporate website optimisation taught him how to read user intent and build experiences that feel like the product is reading your mind, exactly the lens he now uses to design tools for gymnasts. Coming home after a relationship ended reconnected him to his old coach and the sport, and a chance gym visit turned into a high school coaching role that became central to his life again. His app First reframes a science-backed morning routine as a seventh men's artistic event, scored out of 10, with each habit weighted by how much it supports circadian rhythm and athletic performance. His core insight: the day circle works exactly like a pommel circle. Pike it, cut a corner, and you pay for it on the other side. Flatten it and every other skill becomes easier. Upgrade is his Code of Points video library app, pulling the best YouTube footage of every skill into one organised, browsable home so gymnasts and coaches can see what skills actually look like at the top level. The vision goes beyond skills. Eventually it could host drills, progressions, and elite-coached courses, becoming an online academy for anyone in a gym without access to high level coaching. Gymnastics is shrinking at the grassroots and the NCAA level. John's bigger dream is reviving community spaces like old YMCAs and borrowing entertainment lessons from things like Savannah Bananas style baseball to grow audiences and make the sport sustainable. BEST MOMENTS: "I learned the circle, and then learning the skills is just putting your hands in different places." "The day circle functions the same as pommel horse. If you cut a part of the circle short, you have a debt that pays for it on the opposite side." "What sports are so dedicated to being aesthetically pleasing? Gymnastics is a really bizarre union of strength and grace." "Sleep is the biggest performance enhancing drug." "If you're really a gymnast at heart, watching these videos is going to completely change your life." "The kid is motivated, you show them the path, you get them excited about it. That can all happen in a year." JOHN'S LINKS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/first-morning-routine/id6757344123 https://www.upgradegymnastics.com LINKS: Website: https://winstonpowell.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wpowell05/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@winstonpowell5 E-book: https://payhip.com/b/f6RjV ABOUT THE HOST: As a member of the Senior Great Britain Squad, Winston Powell brings firsthand experience to every episode. His achievements include being the Under 18 English Champion in 2023 and reaching the finals in three events at the Junior World Championships the same year: the All-Around, Parallel Bars, and Horizontal Bar finals, qualifying 7th for the All-Around. With five international appearances as a GB gymnast, he has gained invaluable insights into the sport's highest levels. His passion for gymnastics, combined with his deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by elite athletes, makes him the perfect guide to exploring the strategies and stories behind gymnastics success.
NOW PLAYING
The Code Decoder | UpGrade Gymnastics | John Scallon
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m