Tomas Minc locks eyes determinedly on the double mini trampoline 25 meters ahead of him. He sprints forward, launching into a series of powerful twists and flips before landing with precision.
Minc, a kinesiology sophomore, will compete in the double mini trampoline event at the AERE Trampoline World Cup in Riccione, Italy, from April 4-6. A selection
committee chooses the top four competitors in the nation for the event to represent
Team USA.
“Double mini isn’t the most popular event, but there are a good 20 to 30 countries that do it,” Minc said. “At these World Cups, you get the chance for everyone to come together and elevate the sport.”
Minc shares his gymnastics journey and aims to increase the sport’s visibility through short-form videos he posts on social media. While he began posting on
Instagram in 2015, his content started gaining traction in 2021, catapulting him to more than 250,000 Instagram followers and 500,000 YouTube subscribers.
“I like to share what I do,” Minc said. “I like people to see every bit of the process. … I’ve been pushing and gaining exposure to this awesome event, and hopefully one day, it’ll gain the same recognition as artistic gymnastics does.”
The upcoming meet will be Minc’s eighth international competition and his first in over a year. A recent hamstring injury prevented him from participating in the first Team USA qualifier for the World Cup.
“Short-term sacrifice is always gonna be worth it,” Minc said. “I had the chance to tear my hamstring fully. It just wasn’t worth the risk of competing for that one competition.”
At the 2023 World Cup, Minc’s coach, Alex McKay, said the gymnast felt like he couldn’t flip. Instead of training, he worked with a sports psychologist, practicing meditation and journaling to overcome the
mental block. Minc went on to become the 2023 World Double Mini Champion.
“Seeing him have the vulnerability to work with sports psychologists and talk openly with myself and other athletes about this struggle for him is inspiring,” McKay said. “Not only for me, but especially for the younger athletes.”
Beyond training, Minc bonded with his roommate, aerospace engineering sophomore Sam Stenzel, over their shared
background in the sport. Stenzel, a former competitor in artistic gymnastics, said Minc’s humility sets him apart.
“A lot of people at the top of my respective category were very arrogant,” Stenzel said. “With Tomas, I’ve never noticed that. He’s one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. You talk to him and realize how talented he is, and the fact that he downplays it is super impressive.”
While not currently an Olympic event, Minc hopes double mini will gain enough recognition to be included in the future.
“Every time I go out there, I just want to take it all in,” Minc said. “I get to travel with Team USA. Not everyone gets to say that. … That’s every athlete’s dream.”
