"I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky".
These lyrics of R Kelly's hit song will be relevant when the 18-year old Hein Swanepoel competes over the weekend at the SA Trampoline Cup and African Championships trials at Tuks.
In his quest to be the best the Tuks gymnast will at times soar up to nine metres in the air while maybe attempting to perform impressive-sounding moves like the "Adolph, aeroplane, cat-twist or corkscrew". And not for one millisecond will he be allowed to err. It all boils down to being the master of your own body awareness.
If Swanepoel succeeds in executing that perfect routine, he may be in contention for selection to the Tokyo Olympic Games. Last year while still being a junior, he won South Africa's senior trials for the African Games.
Tiaan van der Walt (TuksTrampoline head coach) is quick to emphasise that Tokyo Olympic Games is not part of his plan for the young gymnast.
"Qualifying for the Games would undoubtedly be a confidence booster, but I don't think Hein is ready yet to compete in Tokyo. He needs to gain more experience. The aim is for him to be at his best for the 2024 Paris Games.
"There is a real danger for any young gymnast being intimidated if they compete at a too young age at major international competitions. Once a gymnast loses their confidence, they are going to fight a continuous losing battle."
At first, Swanepoel did not have a real choice as to whether he wanted to be a gymnast. His mother, Helene, used to be Springbok gymnast, so she decided it would be a good thing if her sons also took up the sport.
"I was about two years old the first time I entered a gymnastics hall. I could not really walk, so I crawled to the trampoline. Somehow I managed to get on to it. I then started to bounce about. That is how it all started for me."
According to Swanepoel, many might not comprehend how hard it is to jump on this trampoline until they've tried it themselves.
"There is a misconception that trampolining is a contest to see how high you can jump, but there are a lot of factors that come into play.
"During a competition, you are awarded one score for execution, which is how neatly your routine is done as far as straight legs, pointed feet, jumping in the middle of the trampoline. You also receive a score for flight, where they measure how high you jump by timing you, and that gets added to your total score. The degree of difficulty is calculated based on every flip and twist you can perform.
"To be competitive means long hours of specific training. For example, to gain the height needed for your jumps, your legs need to be strong. You also have to be elegant in the air while flipping and twisting. It means being more flexible as it helps you to get into deeper positions with your tucks and pike."
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