Feb 24 2014

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Shaun Swadling, Australian Trampoline champion and Springfree™ Trampoline ambassador shares his journey into becoming a champion!

One of my earliest memories of trampolining was as a little kid, spending all day outside running between the trampoline and the pool and our beloved cubby house. My family had to buy a new trampoline each Summer because we would wear out or break one each year without fail. If only we had a Springfree Trampoline back then!

At that stage I had no idea that trampolining was even a professional sport or that it would take me to where I am today. When I was jumping around on our backyard trampoline as a kid, it was purely just for fun. It was only after watching Ji Wallace win a silver medal at the Sydney Olympics that I searched out and found my local trampoline club (Eastlake’s Trampoline Sports) and started my professional trampoline journey.

Now, 14 years later, I’m still at Eastlake’s Trampoline Club with my original coach Brett Austine and still having as much fun with the sport as in the original days in the backyard with my family. However, I’m proud to say that I’ve also achieved some pretty cool things such as:

• Making the 2012 Olympic reserve team;
• Placing first in the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships in the synchronised and team events; and
• Placing second in the 2012 National Championships in the individual trampoline event.

Trampolining has allowed me to travel the globe and compete against the world’s top athletes. It has opened up possible career paths for me and I have met some of my closest friends through the sport. And it all started just playing around on my backyard trampoline. 

Could my story be your story (or your kids’ story) too?

Blog From:http://www.springfreetrampoline.co.nz/blog/2014/02/24/then-and-now