Lachie Kirk (left) in the NZ trampoline team that came third overall at the Coimbra Gym Fest in Portugal last month.
Lachie Kirk (left) in the NZ trampoline team that came third overall at the Coimbra Gym Fest in Portugal last month.
Waipukurau’s Lachie Kirk has recently returned from Portugal after completing three back-to-back trampoline competitions with the NZ trampoline team over two-and-a-half weeks.
Kirk is the current CHB Junior Sportsperson of the Year and holds the CHB Overall Sportsperson of the Year Award for the second year in a row.
The 19-year-old is based in Christchurch, where he is studying a Bachelor of Sports Management at the University of Canterbury, and is coached in trampoline by Alex Nilov (Olympic trampolinist Maddie Davidson’s coach), and double mini by John Howe.
Kirk didn’t have the best start to his tour in July, rolling his right ankle in training soon after arriving in Portugal, but he still posted a respectable 15th in trampoline (in the 17-plus age group) at his first competition, the Coimbra Gym Fest.
His team of three men came 3rd overall, with points accrued giving them the podium finish.
Central Hawke’s Bay’s Lachie Kirk defies gravity in international competition as part of the NZ trampoline team's tour to Portugal.
The Coimbra Trampoline World Cup was next, with Kirk competing in Senior Open Double Mini Trampoline and coming 20th, then the Senior Open Synchro Trampoline with Sebastian Smith from Icon Trampoline Club, placing 15th overall.
Kirk said he was frustrated by the impact of his rolled ankle on his performance, but to compete at senior open level, against many previous and current Olympians, while still a junior was a fantastic experience, designed to prepare him for future campaigns.
Central Hawke’s Bay’s Lachie Kirk defying gravity in international competition, as part of the NZ Trampoline Team in Portugal.
After the two Coimbra competitions, the team headed South to Santarem for the Scalabis Cup. Here Kirk decided to rest up for a few days rather than train and give his ankle an opportunity to improve.
In Santarem, Kirk competed in the senior men’s open for trampoline and double mini.
In senior men’s double mini trampoline, he advanced through prelims and on to the semifinals where he placed 12th, just missing the top eight cut to the finals.
His right ankle took a battering on the double mini, as it is a firmer trampoline, so he decided to sit out trampoline training in a bid to preserve his ankle for his next event. This tactic proved successful, with Kirk heading out some tough competition as he progressed through prelims and semifinals to take his place in finals (top eight competitors), where he came a respectable 7th.
In the teams event, points accrued by Kirk and his two teammates resulted in a silver medal, as they were pipped by the Aussies on this occasion.
Kirk’s mum, Kiri, watched on the livestream back home with some friends in the middle of the night and says she wasn’t sure what was worse for her nerves, watching in person or watching online. “But I’m super proud of Lachie.”
Lachie Kirk (second from right, back row) with the NZ trampoline team in Portugal.
As for Kirk: “I definitely enjoyed the experience,” he said.
“It really helps to see where you sit against the world’s best, and my work with a sports psychologist in the lead-up to the tour has given me the skills to keep calm and enjoy the moment, which is really important.
So, what is life like when touring? Kirk says being at the bottom of the world means at least two flights to get to the northern hemisphere.
“We all get aisle seats so we can get up and stretch or walk about. Once in the country, it is a lot of time in hotel rooms, buses and stadiums, so sightseeing is limited. On the plus side, we get to meet fellow athletes and form friendships with competitors from all around the world, which is special for sure.
“It’s a privilege to represent our country and to all my supporters in Central Hawke’s Bay, thank you so much for your kind words and donations – hopefully I have done you proud.”
