After years of training, a 30 second window is all that trampolinist Dylan Schmidt has to get everything perfectly right. And he relies on every ounce of strength he can muster physically, mentally and emotionally to achieve it.
I have 30 seconds to make my family proud, in which I will need to remain both mentally and physically strong. Any distraction is lethal, he says.
Before taking his first bounce on the trampoline in the heat of competition, the Auckland teenager calms himself with familiar mantras: What is the worst that can happen? and My family will still support me no matter what.
His greatest source of personal inspiration comes from his parents. Theyre always there to do or say whatever needs to be done or said. And I truly wouldnt be where I am today if it wasnt for everything theyve given up, to let me - and my brother and sister - pursue whatever we wanted to do; never holding us back.
The 2014 Olympic Youth gold medallist began bounding as a five-year-old, inspired by his older brother, and his mum who helped to coach them. When the family lived in Waihi, the Schmidts would drive to Auckland four times a week for Dylan to train.
He has always been able to count on the strong support of his coaches. What inspired me to pursue the sport to a high level was my former coach Angie Dougal, who made me realise I could be really good at the sport and developed me as an athlete, the 18-year-old student says.
Strength is key in a sport which puts the body under fierce physical pressure, especially the hips and lower back. Schmidt invests in a lot of core strength work to handle that pressure.
It is also mentally taxing. You need to be in the right headspace to succeed, he says. Its an individual sport, so you have to be internally motivated.
It is also very stressful - on the day youve only got one chance to get things right. Everything comes down to a 30 second moment to perform. You need a lot of focus, and you cant afford to let mistakes, or things you cant control, get you down.
Victory at the Youth Olympics gave Schmidt a taste of the Olympic atmosphere and intensity, and only whet his appetite for more. The 2016 Rio games are now firmly in his sights; his goal to become the first New Zealander to compete at an Olympics in trampoline.
That gold medal experience almost made him realise he could get his head into the right space to perform, boosting confidence at events ever since. In September this year, he finished fifth at the Spanish World Cup.
I think I can inspire in two ways. One within the sport and one outside trampoline. I really hope that through my career, I can really build the trampoline community and grow the sport in New Zealand, because its a great one. I already know how much influence I have on the young trampolinists in New Zealand, and as much as its daunting, its a good feeling knowing I can make someones day just by saying Hi or having a photo taken.
I also hope I can inspire people from other minority sports to not give up when it gets tough, either financially, socially or physically. You will regret it, because if you have the right attitude, you can make it.
Dylan Schmidt
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