OTTAWA -- In just a few days, Ottawa gymnast Philopateer Malek will be competing in the Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
What’s even more impressive is that he will be the only Canadian in his field heading to the event.
Malek, 18, started doing gymnastics at the age of seven. Two years ago he decided to focus on power tumbling, and it has paid off.
“This is going to be my first international competition,” says Malek. “Every skill has to be connected, back to back.”
Malek has brought the skills he’s learned from the floor routine to power tumbling, which he says is much more intense.
“You’re doing double-flips and then you have to connect it and somehow manage to maintain your power to shoot up again,” says Malek. “With this, you’re able to push your limits, because it’s a lot bouncier. So you’re seeing guys doing the biggest possible skills a tumbler could do.”
Michael Chaves, who himself is a world medalist in tumbling, has been coaching Malek at Rideau Gymnastics in Kanata, preparing him for his biggest competition yet.
“He’s a hard worker. He deserves this,” says Chaves. “He has had such an interesting journey I would say, because of all the lockdowns and the setbacks. Every time that he’s been able to get back in the gym he’s been utilizing his time here so well.”
Chaves says to make it to the world trampoline championships after just two years of training in the sport is very rare.
And Malek has a shot to take home some hardware.
“I know with his execution, and his degree of difficulty, he could definitely get in the final at this world championship,” says Chaves.
“If I hit my routines, the hardest routines I can, and I’m as clean as I can, I might be able to pull through and make it to a spot in the finals,” Malek says.
Training five days a week, three hours per day for two straight years has gotten Malek to this point, days away from the biggest stage of his gymnastic career.
The championships take place from Nov. 18 to 21.
