From Clovis to Paris, via Egypt: Local manufacturer to make Olympic debut

A local manufacturer of gymnastics wear will have its products featured in the biggest global sporting event of the year.

Snowflake Designs in Clovis created custom leotards for two gymnasts on the Egyptian team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

LaDonna Snow, CEO of Snowflake Designs, said the company’s leotards have been worn by elite gymnasts in competitions all over the world. Snowflake, a family business founded in 1985, has outfitted the University of Kentucky gymnastics program as well as teams in Singapore and New Zealand.

But this is the first time Snowflake’s handiwork will be featured in the Olympic Games, which kick off Friday in Paris.

The connection to the Egyptian gymnasts came through their college gymnastics marketing person, as one of the Egyptian women came to train with a college team in the U.S. Snowflake also designed their leotards for the World Artistic Gymnastics Champions.

One of the Egyptian competitors, Jana Mahmoud, is in artistic gymnastics and the other, Malak Hamza, is in tumbling and trampoline.

Kindra Snow-Walker, president of Snowflake Designs, said the women presented ideas for the leotard design that they incorporated.

“They had some inspirations. They sent us things like pyramids and pharaohs. We took pieces of that, the colors they requested, and sent them some options and went back and forth until they got something that they hopefully love,” Snow-Walker said.

Snow-Walker said it’s really exciting to see their leotards at the Olympics. She never imagined they would get to that stage when she first started working at the family business.

“We can only hope and pray this expands our profile,” Snow said.

There has been a growing presence of gymnastic gyms in the Central Valley, with the Fresno Gymnastics Center opening last August, which also expanded the business horizons for Snowflake Designs.

Snow said the Olympics Games will heighten the company’s presence.

“More people will be tapping us to see what we could provide after kids watch the Olympics,” Snow said. “We’ve tried to position ourselves to be there to fulfill what they want.”