About Norbert Dill

This page is dedicated to our founder Norbert Dill, here you can learn about his history and hobbies, be sure to scroll to the end to see the slide show.

In Memoriam

It is with great sadness we mourn and announce the passing of our company founder, a beloved father, brother, husband and friend.

Norbert Emil Dill was born in Wurzburg Germany on Dec 21,1938 and passed peacefully in San Pedro, California on February 27, 2021.

As a child growing up in the midst of a war, and then the reconstruction of his home country, he developed a love for the sport of gymnastics and the German Gymwheel in particular.  He and his sister were members of club TG Wuerzburg, it was there he continued to train and compete and eventually win the German national championship in 1960 and 1962.  He was also several time Bavarian Champion and a member of the first German National Team Champion in 1961.

Shortly after Norbert met his first wife Athanasia Kechagias, they married and moved to the United States with help from a friend in the US Military as a sponsor. They arrived through Ellis Island like many immigrants with dreams of a life I the United States.  Together they had 2 children Monica and Loren.  Norbert eventually ended up settling in the San Fernando Valley taking odd jobs before finding a job working for a major gymnastics supply company called Gymnastics Supply Company.  Through his employment as a salesman for the company he helped find a manufacturer for Gymwheels in the United States and had his own constructed which he took around the state to teach and demonstrate at many gymnastics competitions from highs school to college.  Norbert moved to the coastal town of San Pedro where the company was based and eventually became Vice President of Sales. He was well known and respected I the gymnastics community for his knowledge and tremendous ethic. 

Norbert began promoting Wheel Gymnastics at college campuses and made guest appearance demonstrations on network television shows such as The Tonight Show, That’s Incredible, The Guinness Game and others.

Working long hours to develop his business which started as a reseller/dealer for other manufacturers, Norbert’s eventually started his own mat manufacturing operation in 1985 first for local gymnastics clubs and high school programs, and eventually expanding throughout the United States.  The wheel in the logo always reminded customers of Norbert’s history of wheel gymnastics.

Norbert had many hobbies over the years including scuba diving, desert motorcycle riding, and taking his Cabin Cruiser to Catalina Island. He loved sharing these endeavors with his family, creating many great memories and life lessons for his children and friends.

Norbert remarried, and with his new wife Val, settled into a ranch property in Sun Valley, CA just outside of Fresno. His retirement plan was to develop the land and build a new home on the property.  Unfortunately, at the young age of 57 right when the business was expanding, Norbert had a debilitating stroke in 1997 and the company was taken over by his children.  As the company continued to thrive with the strong base he had created, Norbert was always interested I the developments in the business and was always available for advice and giving his opinion on company developments right up until his final days.

Norbert’s contributions to Wheel Gymnastics were recognized during the 2013 Wheel Gymnastics World Championships, where Norbert received the USAWGF Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his impact on the growth of the sport here in the USA and abroad.  And in February 2021, Norbert was admitted into the WAS Hall of Fame and granted the Golden Achievement Award.

Another stroke in the middle of 2020 was a major setback for Norbert, he eventually ended up in the hospital until his final days where he passed peacefully in the morning of February 27, 2021.  The covid pandemic at the time made funeral arrangements and celebrations of life difficult to coordinate.  Norbert was interred beside his father at All Souls Cemetery in Long Beach CA .

 If you would like to make a charitable donation in Norbert's name, please click on the DONATE icon above and make your donation to the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation. A 503 non profit charitable organization.

Click the icon above to learn more about the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation.