An Olympic trampolinist paid a surprise visit to young gymnasts at a Wirral gymnastics club last weekend.
Team GB’s Zak Perzamanos, who finished fourth in trampoline at last year’s Olympics in Paris, went to Gym Juniors to help out and answer questions.
The 21-year-old phenomenon also won last year’s European Championships in synchronised trampoline – where two gymnasts leap into the air side by side.
Perzamanos said: “You learn other values like respect, teamwork, so it’s good in general, not just for sport.”
Perzamanos got into gymnastics aged 11 after accompanying his sister to her trampoline class.
The Olympian said: “I kind of just took to it, just pinging yourself round on a trampoline.”
After leading a quick warm-up, or as Perzamanos calls it, “defrosting”, the Gym Juniors showed what they could do.
The gymnast said the children were “loads better” than he was at that age – “not even close”.
Children and parents alike were thrilled with Perzamanos’ visit.
One parent said he appreciated his son having a male role model, especially in a field that’s sometimes dismissed as a girl’s sport.
Featured image by Chris Patel
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