Kiwi trampolinist Dylan Schmidt reflects on family sacrifices made for Olympic success

Dylan Schmidt spent years travelling from Waihi to Auckland for trampoline training. Photo / Getty Images

Much of Dylan Schmidt's childhood was spent sleeping in the car while his mum drove him and his older siblings from Waihī to Auckland for trampoline training.

Four times a week, Jen Schmidt would pick up Dylan, Rachel and Callum from their after-school activities and they would embark on a two-hour journey to the city.

But all that driving has paid off with Schmidt winning New Zealand's first Olympic medal in trampoline gymnastics, taking home a bronze medal in Tokyo last week.

"It was exhausting for mum, we just slept most of the way. I am not sure what she was thinking to be honest," Schmidt said.

But medals aside, Jen said the only reason she did it was that the kids "were just passionate about it".

"I was willing to do it because the kids wanted to go. It was probably as hard on them as it was on me - but it was what they wanted.

"We would get home at about 11 and I would throw them into bed and they would get up and go to school. When I look back on it now I wonder 'how the hell did we do it?"

Schmidt was seventh at Rio, where he was New Zealand's first Olympic trampoline gymnast, and he was confident of a good showing in Tokyo after a relatively injury-free last six months.

After completing his final routine, Schmidt, who began trampolining as a child in the South Island town of Te Anau, raised his hands, closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

In managed isolation in Christchurch, Schmidt told the Bay of Plenty Times making it on to the Olympics podium was a "dream come true".

"It feels good to finally have this result after putting in so much hard work," he said.

"I started my routine really strong, then I lost it a little bit in the middle. But then I fought back hard and finished really strong which ultimately got me on the podium.

"I have my medal on my desk so I can just make sure it is still there - I keep looking at it."

Schmidt - who moved to Waihī at the age of 6 with his family - said he "loved the outdoors, and living the Kiwi lifestyle on the beach". He still considered Waihī home, despite now living in Auckland.

"We had a great time doing what kids do - biking around and causing a menace. I had a great childhood and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

A scholarship for King's College at the age of 14 put an end to the regular four-hour commutes to and from training. He boarded during the week and would travel home for the weekend.

Jen and his father Andy Schmidt moved up to Auckland for work years later.

In the lead up to the Olympics, Schmidt said he was "being smart about training", making sure he had a purpose for each trampoline session.

"Not just getting on the tramp and slogging it out," he said. "I was training about six times a week."

Dylan started working with his coach, Angie Dougal, at the start of the year. But Dougal previously coached Schmidt from the age of 6 to 16.

"It is pretty special to be back together again. She took me to my first worlds - when I won my age group at 12. And now she's with me for my first Olympic medal."

Schmidt said the New Zealand's team connection and spirit this year were "greater than Rio" due to the buzz around finally being able to compete internationally.

"It was really special actually, we were all just happy to be competing on the world stage.
There was something different about it for sure."

And the 24-year-old plans to get back on the world stage later this year at the Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Azerbaijan. After a short break, he plans to "get straight into training" to prepare for the competition.

"I am pretty keen to go there and get on that podium again."