Apollo Gym a jump ahead of the rest

Members of Apollo Gymnastics sit on a new double mini-trampoline. Photo submitted.

Apollo Gymnastics got a special delivery on Monday, that secures them as the “best-equipped gymnastic facility” north of Toronto. A $5000 Double mini-trampoline was ordered through a company in Toronto and was shipped, from Germany where it’s manufactured, to Apollo’s door.

“The kids are so excited to have this new type of trampoline in the gym now, as they can not only use it to help them with their other gymnastic events, but it is also it’s own competitive sport like Power Tumbling”, stated Dave Harris the head coach at Apollo. “Our artistic gymnastic programs keep being more successful all the time and out Tumbling program has grown immensely in the last 5-6 years. I’m excited now to have yet another competitive sport for our athletes to train and compete now”.

Josh Tessier, the Provincial Tumbling coach at Apollo added, “In Ontario, there are very few gyms that have the space or ability to run all competitive disciplines- especially trampoline, double mini and tumbling like ours can. Out west it’s more common; gyms run the 3 trampoline disciplines as one program which is why many of the gyms out west are leaders in trampoline sports. We’re going to do well though and I’m excited to see what programs we’ll offer next season”.

The competitive athletes that were in on Monday night got to christen the double mini, which looks like a long, 2 sided bent tramp. The athletes run up on it like a vault, hit the slanted section and flip 6-15 feet in the air and come back down on a flat section of the same trampoline where they do another even bigger flip. Eventually they land on a soft mat or into the training pit in control.

Jen Lavigne, the Women’s program head coach, feels the new addition, “offers the girls an exciting new event that will only help them with their air awareness and jumps which are so important for their floor and beam routines. Plus there is an application for improving their aggressiveness for their vault runs which can only help in the long run”.

All of the participants at Apollo from March Break campers and recreational participants as young as 1, will be able to try out the double-mini in their programs.

“Everyone at Apollo who has help with fundraisers have made this possible”, added Harris, and the gym is committed to having a great facility and equipment for them to use. I know the kids who were in Monday night sure appreciate the double mini and had a blast training on it, and that’s what makes this all worthwhile”.

Submitted to BayToday.ca