Lachie Kirk celebrated nabbing fifth-place in double mini-trampoline at the 2022 World Age Group Championships in Bulgaria.
Lachie Kirk celebrated nabbing fifth-place in double mini-trampoline at the 2022 World Age Group Championships in Bulgaria.
As a schoolboy rugby player, Lachie Kirk took up gymnastics so he could learn to backflip to celebrate scoring a try.
From that small ambition, the Central Hawke’s Bay 18-year-old is now thanking his community for the support which helped him travel to Bulgaria in November, where he placed fifth in the double mini-trampoline category at the World Age Group Championships.
Lachie was selected as one of a team of seven to represent New Zealand at the championships, competing in three disciplines; trampoline, double mini-trampoline and tumbling.
Lachie Kirk and his coach Wayne Marsh at the championships in Bulgaria.
Qualifying to compete in all three disciplines is rare, and while Lachie’s best result was in his favoured mini-trampoline, he also placed a creditable 31st in tumbling and 28th in individual trampolining against the world’s best age group competitors.
Lachie only took up trampoline five years ago - moving on from the gymnastics, which had quite quickly taken over from rugby.
“When I started trampoline, my coach Wayne Marsh, who is amazing, opened my eyes to the possibility of international competition. I didn’t think I’d get to that stage, but I have a good coach and I work hard and I love a challenge.”
Lachie Kirk during one of his routines at the Age Group World Championships in Bulgaria.
Lachie’s challenges last year included trying to qualify during Covid, which saw many events cancelled.
“In 2022, I gained the national title for tumbling and narrowly missed [out] on the double mini title. But my routines and execution exceeded the world qualifying points for all three categories of trampolining and put me in the frame for selection,” Lachie says.
A huge challenge once selected was funding the trip for Lachie and for Wayne, who, as a successful coach of 30 years who has himself represented New Zealand, was selected to support the New Zealand team.
With a Givealittle page up and running and numerous community fundraising events and donations, the community got behind the pair.
“Individuals and businesses made donations, and people even turned up on our doorstep to give us money towards the trip,” says Lachie’s mother Kiri.
All focus as Lachie Kirk propels himself towards a tumbling routine.
“It was absolutely a community effort... people were getting up in the middle of the night to watch the live streaming of the competition, we had so many messages of support; everyone was on the journey with Lachie.”
The competition itself was an eye-opener for the young trampolinist.
“The scoring was brutal, and to get fifth place in the double mini was incredible. I was .6 of a point away from first place,” Lachie says.
“I got a personal best score in trampoline and also met a lot of amazing people. I now have contacts in the sport from all over the world.
“The support and messages were all so humbling. I want to thank everyone. The result was not just mine - it’s been the work of many, many people.”
Lachie’s mini double result has qualified him out of the age group champs, so his aim will be to compete in the open championships in Birmingham in 2023.
