Battling his way through a nagging ankle injury last month, local trampolinist Kyle Lapierre took part in both Canada Cup and Elite Ontario, but will now focus completely on nationals, in a somewhat different environment.
Now 20 years of age and having completed his third year at Laurentian University, Lapierre has moved south for the summer, training with national team coach Dave Ross, alongside a handful of Team Canada athletes in Richmond Hill.
“I want to pull out as much knowledge about trampoline as possible, things like routine composition and skills and the whole general “what is trampoline” topic,” said Lapierre, who earned bronze at the Elite Ontario event in Pickering.
“And then there is skill development,” he said. “I’m not really too concerned with what the routine looks like for nationals. At this point, I know I want to make changes, but I don’t know what the changes will be specifically.
“I want to take the information from coach Ross and his input and kind of create routines, understanding what skills work better together, to have a better routine for nationals. It’s something me and (Sudbury Laurels coach) Michelle (Seanor) have been talking about for a while.”
This is just the latest step on the unexpected journey that Lapierre has enjoyed, a path that was anything but pre-determined when he first launched himself into the sport.
“When I joined trampoline, I had no idea that I would go this far, I really had no desire to go this far,” he said. “But now, to be part of the 'big boys club', that’s incredible.”
Lapierre is nearing the end of his first season competing as a “senior men’s” competitor, looking forward to nationals with a healthy blend of optimism and realism. “I would really like to place relatively well in Canada,” he said of the event set for July 12-17 at Durham College in Oshawa.
“At this meet I don’t want to finish at the bottom of the pack," said Lapierre.
"But in saying that, I know that this is my first year senior and some of these guys have been competing at senior nationals for a few years now.”
