Your Champions: Tranmere trampolining teen, Luke Strong

Aug 10 2011 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

A TRAMPOLINING teenager from Tranmere with one eye on the 2016 Olympics has been nominated for a Your Champions award.

Luke Strong is just 17 but already boasts a World Championship silver medal, despite suffering a serious leg break that could have dashed his dreams.

The former Park High pupil developed an interest in the niche sport through his involvement the Trampoline Youth Club, run by Tranmere Action Group (TAG).

TAG secretary, Barbara Dunn, said: “There’s five pensioners opened the club and Luke came down and just progressed and progressed.

“Then he had his accident going into the World Championships, just before going, and his leg was in a bad state, he had metal put in it.

“He was on the verge of giving up. He thought he’d lost everything, but he did manage to stay focused and worked really hard.”

After the setback, Luke regained his fitness and was soon competing again.

He managed to scoop the British Championship this year and, with a great deal of support from TAG and generous local sponsors, flew out to Canada to compete in the World Championships, picking up a silver medal.

Barbara said: “Everything set him back but he just persevered.”

Luke now works fulltime on his sport and is part of the City of Liverpool Trampoline Squad, as part of a five-year training programme leading up to the 2016 Olympics.

Head of Trampoline Gymnastics, Jay Scouler, wrote of Luke: “I believe Luke is one of the most talented gymnasts I have ever had the privilege of working with.

“His fierce passion, unstoppable drive and shear desire to succeed provide a stable platform to go on to senior international success in later years.”

Barbara added: “If he won, I think he’d be over the moon.”

Your Champions is a joint initiative by Wirral News and ScottishPower to celebrate the unsung heroes and heroines of our community.