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Roth-Wallman honoured by Gymnastics BC

Local trampolinist wins Provincial Level Male Athlete of the Year for second time
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Big bounce Whistler trampolinist Matthew Roth-Wallman earned Gymnastics BC's Provincial Level Male Athlete of the Year Award on Nov. 3. Photo submitted

For the second time in three years, local trampolinist Matthew Roth-Wallman has been honoured by Gymnastics BC.

Roth-Wallman, 14, was named the Provincial Level Male Athlete of the Year at the organization's awards banquet in Richmond on Nov. 3.

"I was thrilled to hear that I'd won. I thought of all the coaches I had over the years, and all the hard work I put in and the hard work they put in to help me get to the point that I was able to reach," he said. "I was overjoyed."

Roth-Wallman said he had an inkling he'd be honoured about a month before the ceremony when Gymnastics BC asked for a biography to read onstage.

Roth-Wallman's award is the third for the club in the past four years, as Matthew Susko was also honoured in 2015. He credited the organization for helping athletes be their best.

"The first time, it came as a surprise. It was my first time ever doing it, so holy crow, it was amazing," he said. "It says a lot about the coaching, dedication and hard work that our organization puts into it."

Roth-Wallman said the Western Canada Cup in Regina in June was the highlight of his season, when he landed the Barani double back on the double-mini trampoline after having troubles with it in his warm-up. Roth-Wallman explained that move had been the prime focus of his work in that discipline this season.

"In the warm-up, I kept falling. I landed it once in warm-up, and then I went to compete it, and then I landed it again," he said. "That was the highlight of the season for me."

In trampoline action, Roth-Wallman made the jump to Level 5 last season, and he responded well to the increase in skill level.

"I had to step up my game. The competition was a lot harder, so I had to really start training harder. My coaches helped me a ton with training," he said.

Roth-Wallman also plays bantam rep hockey, appreciating the chance to do so, even when his schedule gets clogged up.

"I love both and I enjoy both," he said. "Hockey and tramp are so fun for me.

"In trampoline, you're competing almost against yourself. I always look at it as always competing against my past self and my present self is trying to do better than I did in the past. I'm not really competing against the judges or the other people that are competing.

"In hockey, you're obviously competing against another team and the goal is to try to run them into the ground as much as possible."

In other Whistler Gymnastics news, Gigi Kranjc is set to represent Canada in double mini trampoline action at the World Age Group Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Nov. 15 to 18.