World title memories come bouncing back

BROOKE Willock (9) and brother Jack (6) took the first steps in following mum Kristen when they won gold medals in Rotorua last weekend.
“It was their first championship and we will get a better indication of their talent when they compete in an age group competition next year,” said Gisborne Trampoline Club and former New Zealand coach Doug Callahan.
Kristen (nee Willock) won gold in the elite teams’ double mini and silver in the 15-17 years girls’ DM at the 1990 world championships in Germany. Two years later at the worlds in Auckland she won gold in the elite teams’ DM and was sixth in the elite women’s DM.
Callahan described the efforts as “amazing”.
“This was the best of the best — there is no higher grade.”
He noted that Brooke and Jack’s gold medals (in levels 3 and 2 respectively) were on DM, and both also won silver on trampoline.
Kristen said the children “decided themselves” to take up trampolining”.
“Andrew (her husband and former New Zealand secondary schools rugby team halfback)) and I are happy for them to play whatever sport they like. They started in the second term of this year, so they are new to trampolining.
“They have some natural trampoline talent but if they work hard and push themselves who knows how far they could go in whatever sport or career they choose.
“But the sport has changed a lot since I was competing. There are young trampolinists doing tricks at nine and 10 that I wasn’t doing until I was 13 or 14. Some elite athletes are doing tricks I have never seen.”
There had also been an increase in parents travelling to competitions.
“In our day Doug used to load up the minivan and we would head off around the country being billeted with other competitors. Doug is the backbone of trampolining here. Gisborne is so strong because of him and I am very grateful for all he has done.
“It was different for parents back then to go to competitions, plus Dad (Dick) had rugby and surf lifesaving, Mum (Kaye) had her netball and Debbie (Kristen’s sister) her gymnastics.”
Kristen wore the silver fern for the first time at the Pan Pacifics in Auckland in 1985. She won gold on trampoline and silvers in DM and synchro in the 10-12yrs age group.
She also competed at the Pan Pacifics 1987 — achieving minor placings — then the 1988 world champs in the United States.
“We finished second in the teams’ DM in the elite competition — the best achievement by Kiwis at a world champs.”
Teams consist of four trampolinists, with the top three scores added together to get the final result.
Willock was also fourth on the tramp in the 13-14yrs age group and sixth in synchro with Alana Boulton.
She recalls how nervous she was.
“I had been competing since I was 10 but always felt nervous before competitions. I think nerves makes you a better competitor.”
Despite having “been there, done that” she was even more nervous before the world champs in Germany.
“I didn’t want to let them down. Three of us were there in 1988 so we really had to step up. Most of us were doing similar passes with similar degree of difficulty — if you bombed you were out — so were under real pressure to complete your passes.
After receiving her gold medal, Willock said hearing the New Zealand national anthem was “amazing and emotional”.
Willock stopped competing after Germany.
“I was busy with school and had been doing trampolining for a long time — training up to five days per week — and wanted a break from it all. Plus Mum was terminally ill with cancer. She died in March of 1992.”
Willock returned to the sport two years later.
“I was in Auckland doing nursing training and with the world champs in Auckland I decided to start back training, and have a crack at making the team again — with the same girls from 1990.
“I trained five days a week, up to two hours each session, for three months and made the team, and we won gold again. This one was much more emotional especially with Mum having died earlier that year. We won by 2.5points which is as close as it sounds.”
Willock started her sporting career as a gymnast.
“I didn’t have the flexibility to do a bridge so I started trampolining with Doug (Callahan) as coach.
She also has a strong netball background. She was a Poverty Bay under-21 representative and a member of the Gisborne premiership-winning HSOG squad. In 2003, she helped put together one-season wonders AMP HSOG team who won the premier title
“Basically we got together a lot of good old players who no longer trained but wanted to play.
“I snapped my Achilles the following year, so returned to socccer which is much easier on the old body.”
As well as world championship gold medals, Willock won 12 national titles — four on trampoline, five on DM and three in synchro.
She has also won national titles in surf lifesaving and kayaking.
Brooke and Jack also have more strings to their competitive bows.
Brooke loves dancing which Kristin said helped with her form on the trampoline and with competitive discipline.
“She recently won the eight and under-10 years championship at the local ballet competition.
Brooke plays soccer and made the Makauri inter-school netball team while Jack is a yellow belt at judo and plays rugby. They are also good swimmers.
“We will support them in whatever they choose and I hope sport will play a big part in their lives. It can teach and give you so much fulfilment in life,” said Kristin.