Kyle Carragher, a former Riverside student, will be representing Canada in the World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships, as a part of the Double Mini-Trampoline team in the men’s division. The top eight men and women in the world championships will move on to represent Canada in the Olympics.
This opportunity to be a part of team Canada has always been Carragher’s dream. “I have dedicated countless hours to refine my skills and make it to the level of competition that would allow me to eventually compete on the international scene,” said Carragher. “This love of gymnastics has always pushed my limits, and taught me to fight to be the best I can possibly be.”
”Despite the event being seen as a stepping stone to get into the Olympics, the event still has its own prestige as well. “We have very strong medal chances with our teams in women’s trampoline and women’s and men’s double mini-trampoline,” said Stephan Duchesne, the High Performance Director for Trampoline Gymnastics. “Qualifying for the World Games in tumbling, double mini-trampoline and synchronized trampoline will be a real thrill for these athletes as it’s their equivalent to the Olympic Games.”
Carragher’s journey towards the World Championships have been financially challenging. According to Carragher, government funding for amateur sports is quite low and he cannot rely on this as a source of significant funding. “I am taking the first semester off of post-secondary education to focus on training, and to increase my funds,” said Carragher. “I have a job and I am working hard to subsidize my costs to attend the event.” As a result, he is asking for donations as way to gain money so that he can go to the World Championships. According to Carragher, he will need $10,000 to cover the travel costs, uniform costs, training, and competition fees.
If you would like to donate money to help send Carragher into the World Championships, you can check out his gofundme page, photos courtesy from the website and Grace Chiu.
