Chapeltown Super-student Millie Evans is also a top athlete! Millie won a top trampolining championship held at the English Institute of Sport recently. She flew through the qualifiers and then won the entire championship! We put a few questions to champ Millie:
How did you get into trampolining?
My mum was a trampolinist and then a coach so that’s how I got involved.
I started at age 3 and just absolutely loved it!
I loved that it was such a different sport and so fun. Other people were doing football and running. Trampolining is different and cool! Also, because my mum was a trampolinist and a coach and my aunty as well I understood the sport and was accustomed to it.
Does trampolining at this level require a lot of training?
You work on developing your power and strength and flexibility
So, I do a lot of conditioning work – workouts in the gym and circuits.
It’s about building strength in leg muscles and strengthening your core
So, you do specific core circuit exercise and keep up the conditioning.
Is that constant training as you have big competitions to prepare for?
Well, you can ease off over Christmas and in the summer so after competitions and before the next one is coming up!
Do you follow a special diet?
Protein and carbs are the most important aspect for diet, especially before the big competitions
What’s it like competing at that high level – what do you have to actually do?
For a national competition you do two routines. One is the required set routine that all competitors must do. This is to show your skills – you have to somersault and double somersault and also complete a somersault with a one and a half twist.
Then you have the Vol which stands for voluntary, and it means you choose the routine. I suppose it is like a competitor’s choice or a free style. This is where you choose a routine which is difficult and challenging abut also one which will show your own skills to best advantage.
The judges are looking for solid execution, tight shapes, good line outs – that means you make the shape and then return to a good straight landing position.
There’s a lot of technical language specific to the sport – it’s like Strictly!
Yes, that’s true you learn all the correct terms and expressions.
What did you have to do to get into that final at the English institute for Sport?
Well, I had to get through the qualifiers in Telford. That is with competitors from all over the country – around 40. Then the final 16 go through to the final. Finals are the top 16 in the country.
So, at that point you are already amongst the top 16 in the entire country?
Yes!
Well, you won the entire competition Millie and have the medals to prove it! Congratulations – it is so impressive!
Thank you
I know you are busy at Chapeltown Academy with your Maths, Chemistry and Biology A levels – are you able to keep up with your sport?
It is all about the balance. I have a fantastic and understanding coach so when I have mock exams – they are coming up – I can miss some training that is fine.
I also work as a coach myself – I work one day a week with 8- to 11-year-olds and 4 to five olds.
I really enjoy working with the young ones – you can spot already who is talented and even before that who has the right attitude to try to succeed. Trampolining is really developing strongly in Sheffield now and it is fantastic that the national championships are held here.
Millie is applying to study Biochemistry at university and hopes to continue her sporting endeavours at the same time. We wish her every success in the future. Millie you are heading to the top!