Adin Brenner says there are no limitations when it comes to upping the degree of difficulty on the double mini trampoline, and that’s saying something.
Brenner landed the hardest ‘pass’ he’s ever attempted en route to a first-place finish at the Indo-Pacific Trampoline and Tumbling Championships last month in Napier, New Zealand.
The 15-year-old athlete from the Nanaimo Gymnastics School had known for months he was qualified for the international competition, and put all his focus into the double mini discipline so he was comfortable with four all-new passes.
A double mini pass resembles a vault, but there are two parts – an ‘on’ and an ‘off’ – and greater amplitude because of the trampoline.
Brenner’s first pass was the hardest, and he nailed it.
“It’s double front flip with a half-turn, so a 180, and then a full full straight [which] is in a straight position, double flip, with two twists,” he said.
“I felt ready, I felt in the game being on the top of the board as soon as my first pass landed. I was like, all right, I’m in here, let’s go for gold.”
He made a mistake on his second pass, but he was still in the mix and landed his third and fourth passes.
Megan Conway, Brenner’s coach at Nanaimo Gymnastics School, said the miss “can put a ton of pressure on, so he handled that really well.”
The drama was drawn out till the end, but Brenner was the best and most consistent and so he ended up atop the podium.
“It was cool. To hear the anthem when you’re standing on the podium is something else … Once in a lifetime,” he said.
Conway said the competition was an exciting and positive experience and said it will be a “stepping stone” for Brenner.
“I think he’s raised his expectations a little bit more of what he’d like to do over the next couple of years,” she said.
Brenner finished 13th at the Trampoline Gymnastics World Age Group Competition last year and is aiming to return, and is well-positioned after this fall’s gold medal.
“It just makes me feel like I can go bigger and go on the podium or something next year at worlds,” he said.
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