Our Town Inagi 2020: Runa Egami

Captivated by flexibility and jumping ability, aiming for the world stage with trampolining

Mr. Egami (4th grade at Hirao Elementary School) participated in the 34th Kanagawa Prefecture Trampoline Competition (February 2020, Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture) and achieved a remarkable victory in the girls' category for 3rd and 4th grade elementary school students.
On the day of the tournament, I was particularly conscious of carefully stretching my fingertips and toes, and Mr. Egami himself won his first championship.
Trampoline is a sport that competes in acrobatic performances in the air, evaluating beauty, difficulty, and height, as well as how well the performance is executed at the center of the trampoline, with rankings determined by the total score.
Mr. Egami became interested when he noticed that many athletes who were active in various events were being interviewed on television during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics four years ago, and that they had all started trampolining from a young age.
At first, I attended a school in Samukawa, Kanagawa Prefecture once a week, but when my coach established a new trampoline club in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, I started attending practice three times a week. I am also working on various practices, such as taking gymnastics lessons to gain hints for rotating techniques.

Mr. Egami's specialty is a move called "Full Twist," which involves a backflip with a twist, and he has actually demonstrated it in competitions. He is currently challenging himself with a move called "Rudolph," which is almost complete. Both moves are fun to perform, and he passionately shared that with each success, he gains more confidence.
Coach Makiko Otonari from the Astrea Trampoline Club (Ebina City), where Ms. Egami trains, says, "Runa-chan's appeal points are her beauty and flexibility from her fingertips to her toes, and her jumping ability that utilizes the spring of her body. As she gains experience and can control her techniques, she can aim for even higher levels."
Even after four years of starting trampoline, Mr. Egami says that trampoline is still very fun and not difficult at all. He shared his future goal, saying, "I want to practice more to perform the skills beautifully and aim to participate in the Olympics in the future."
Let's support and look forward to seeing Mr. Egami active on the world stage.