'I have dreamed of representing Canada': Regina trampoline athlete shines on world stage

Regina athlete Hannah Metheral competed at the FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Birmingham, UK last month – where she walked away with a bronze medal.

“Canada got a bronze medal at the 2021 Worlds which I went to Junior Worlds, not senior that year. So being able to be a part of the bronze medal winning team [this year] was pretty awesome,” Metheral exclaimed.

Metheral explained how the team was able to earn their third place hardware and how it came down to her performance to secure a spot on the podium.

“In the team event they take three girls out of the team of four to compete in the final. We all do a routine and then it’s a point system. You go in rounds, if you win your round you get five points. If you get fifth in your round, you get one point kind of thing,” she shared.

“I was the anchor so I went in the last round and I got second in my round which meant I came up with four points, which put us into bronze medal position.”

Her journey in the sport of trampoline began at a very young age.

“I started artistic gymnastics when I was four years old. My grandma was the head coach of this club. But then I kind of hated it, I hated the beam, I hated the bars. It was just something I was doing because my grandma was involved in it. Then one day one of the trampoline coaches just came over and took me out of my artistic group and put me on the trampoline and I never looked back,” Metheral laughed, who said she was around seven at the time.

But she says it was in her later teenager years when she knew she wanted to make a run at trying to be a member of Canada’s national team.

“I was probably Grade 11 or 12. I had two of my teammates here who were going to World Championships and they were some people that I really looked up to and being able to train alongside them, kind of as I was growing [in the sport] made it seem possible,” she said.

Metheral qualified for her first Senior World Championships last year and says she used that as a learning tool and guide for 2023.

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“Last year worlds were in Bulgaria. I kind of went in with the mindset of Just ‘This is my first worlds, who knows what’s going to happen? Let’s just do my routines.’ I was really nervous last year so I kind of just did some routines, they weren’t my best. They were pretty average. But I was really proud of myself. The team didn’t get a medal that year but it was still a really good experience,” she said.

“Then this year I kind of went in more hungry. I was doing really well in the World Cups leading up so I thought at least I can kind of pull through with a team medal. I wasn’t expecting to make the individual final at all. So it was really crazy to be able to represent Canada in [both] finals.”

Metheral placed seventh in the individual final and was ecstatic about being seventh in the world for her sport. She also was proud to not only represent her country but her province as well.

“We haven’t had very many World Championship athletes come out of Saskatchewan. We actually for this past Worlds, had one from Saskatoon, and myself. So that’s a first that we’ve had two go to the same World Championships. Then I think I’m the first World Medal we’ve ever had. I’ve debated going to train in other provinces just to pursue gymnastics further but I just love Saskatchewan so much. I just want to stay and being able to bring that [medal] home I’m just really proud,” she shared.

“I have dreamed of representing Canada my entire life. I love watching the Olympics. I love everything about Canada so I’ve dreamed about it forever so when my dreams came true I didn’t really believe it for like a year, but now it’s setting in and it’s awesome.”

Metheral’s coach, Danni Roy, said that her work leading up to the performance was nothing short of razor focused.

“She did really, really great. She trained super hard leading up. The mindset was always just do the best that she could. We can’t control what anyone else is going to do, can’t control what the judges are going to say,” Roy explained.

“She had to perform well for the team and under pressure and she came through every time.”

However, Metheral will now take a bit of a break from the sport to allow an injured ankle to heal.

There are no World Championships in 2024 due to the Olympics. Even though double mini trampoline is not a certified Olympic sport but it still pushes the championships by a year.

She plans to return for the 2025.