OMAHA, Neb. — The road to the Olympics is a journey that takes athletes years. From local competitions to world championships, it's a long road to get to the top. But one local 13-year-old trampolinist is on his way. Gavin Britton from Bennington, Nebraska happens to be one of the best trampolinists in the country.
"Kids like this don't come along very often," his coach Rob Godfrey said.
Gavin completes all across the county.
"I like the traveling part about it. It's just really cool going all over the United States," he said.
Although traveling all around the country is cool, what's cooler to him is the fact that he gets to go to Tokyo this December for the world championships. He qualified to represent Team USA.
"It's a shock. My kid is going to be representing our country in Tokyo in the same venue as the Olympics," his mom Jody Britton said.
"It just happens to be in Tokyo prior to the Olympics. He's actually going to be competing at the same Olympic venue that the gymnastics will be competing in next year," his coach said.
Getting to this level in the sport took Gavin a lot of practice and a lot of family support.
"It is a lot of time away from school and a lot of time away from work but it's worth it in the end," his mom said.
The world championships give Gavin a chance to stand out on an international level. It's competitions like these that could lead to something bigger for him in the future.
"In five more years for the 2024 Olympics he'll be able to go through the trials hopefully and have a shot at the 2024 Olympics," his coach said.
Perhaps the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will be his next stop.
USA Gymnastics does not cover travel costs for athletes to compete in the world championships. To help Gavin get to Tokyo you can donate to his family's GoFundMe or sign up for their golf tournament fundraiser.
