A TEENAGER from Wychbold has been crowned an English trampolining champion at a recent gymnastics tournament.
Sophie Davis, aged 13, who is autistic, competed in the disability category (ages 9 to 14) at the finals of the English Gymnastics Trampoline and Double Mini Tramp (DMT) Championships 2024.
The winning athlete took the podium for her gold medal at Telford International Centre after competing on October 19 and 20. She earned herself a spot to compete among eight other competitors after a difficult qualifying round earlier this year.
To claim top spot in the competition, Sophie performed two different trampolining disciplines. The first discipline is a traditional trampolining routine involving acrobatics while bouncing and the other is performed on a double mini trampoline.
The second routine involves approaching the double mini trampoline at speed before performing acrobatics and dismounting onto the mat. This apparatus has both an angled and a flat section.
Sophie earned herself a total score of 53.500 on the individual trampolining discipline, coming out on top by 2.7 on the scoreboard. She was joined on the podium by Amelia O’Connor, of Apollo Trampoline Club, in second place and Imogen Day, of HBS Revolutions, in third.
Sophie’s mother, Charlotte, told the Standard: “We are elated at Sophie’s results. She amazes us more & more every day with her fantastic achievements.
“She struggles so much with her autism to navigate certain situations, she calls trampolining “her happy place” and this shows in her results. She is so talented and we cannot wait to see where she goes with the team next.”
The Bromsgrove High School student has been a gymnast for five years and was encouraged to pursue trampolining by her mother who could see the relaxation and positive impact trampolining at home was having on her daughter.
She trains with Aspire Springers Trampoline Club in Cheltenham and her mother says she has done amazingly well in all of the competitions she has competed in so far.
Aspire Springers Trampoline Club started in 2004 and was formerly known as Oxstalls Springers.
