Sport
2 April, 2024
World stage for stage for trampoliner
After winning the title of National Champion while representing Queensland in the 2023 Australian Gymnastics Championships, 16-year-old Tyga Stimson is now moving onto the world stage, representing Australian trampolining in Portugal later this year.
The Caboolture local started trampolining at age 10 after his mum was fed-up with his cartwheeling and hand-standing around the house.
In five years he has risen to national stage, winning gold in the Level 6 Double Mini Trampoline category last year, and recently placing first at a State Age competition.
With hopes of making it to the Olympics, Tyga must now attend all world championships to try to accumulate enough points to qualify.
This means his family’s goal is to have the financial means of getting him to every world championship, starting with Portugal, as the trip is self-funded.
“I’m most excited about the experience to be able to represent Australia overseas,” he said.
“My parents are pretty happy for me and what I do but their wallets aren’t,” he joked.
Tyga practices four days per week at the Gymnastics Queensland headcentre in Chandler, being home-schooled to accommodate his busy schedule.
His mum Barbara says she is pretty proud of where he’s gotten, keeping his happiness as her first priority.
“I think he enjoys it and that’s the main thing, as long as he gets to have fun we support him,” she said.
According to Tyga, his favourite thing about the sport is “the feeling of fl ying through the air”.
His next big competition before Portugal is the National Championships at the Gold Coast in May.
Tyga is one of six Redland City Gymsports members to qualify for the Australian trampolining squad, with Beau Edwards, Kasen Hetherington, Charlotte Johnstone, Bryce Edwards and silver medallist Harrison Lee also making the cut for different categories.
To support Tyga’s journey, donations can be made at https://asf.org.au/projects/tyga-stimson/help-tysinternational-journey-2024
