Her younger brother, Austin (b circa 1989), is a Utah-Dallas graduate also. On Wednesday, July 3, 2013, he was killed in an automobile accident, in the north of Decatur, Texas. He was 24 at the time.
Tolnay commenced gymnastics training at the age of five, in 1992.
2002-2005: Club competitive career.
A four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Champion, she was a member of the Georgia Gym Dogs from 2006 to 2009. Contributing to all four of the team"s consecutive National Championship wins during that time. Tolnay advanced to Level 10 for the 2002 season, following her move to newly opened Texas Dreams Gymnastics. In order to train under the tutelage of former World Champion, Kim Zmeskal.
Tolnay was born on May 7, 1987 in Texas to parents, James "Cotton", who was a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks football team and a University of Texas at Dallas graduate and Melissa Tolnay (née Grant), also an Arkansas graduate.
