COCKBURN GOES OUT ON A HIGH
Trampoline gymnastics went from a hobby to an Olympic event under athlete’s watch
The laws of physics would suggest Karen Cockburn’s career simply couldn’t have had more ups than downs.
But Canada’s most decorated trampoline gymnast will tell you otherwise as she looks back on a quarter-century in her sport. The 36-year-old retired Sunday in front of friends, family and fellow competitors at the Canadian championships in Oshawa, Ont.
Trampoline gymnastics wasn’t even an Olympic sport when Cockburn, at age 13, started her competitive career. There was no funding, no profile and not much respect for it, really.
When trampoline entered the five-ring circus at Sydney 2000, Cockburn won a bronze. She added silver in Athens and Beijing, and the success inspired teammates like dual gold medallist and reigning Olympic champ Rosie MacLennan. With those dynamos out front, Canada became a world power, earning seven of the 30 Olympic medals awarded to date. Only China, with 11, owns more.
“When I look back on my career, I’m really satisfied,” Cockburn said Friday. “Seeing my sport still in the Olympics, and seeing Canada on top … it’s pretty incredible. I take a lot of pride in being kind of a pioneer in that era. I have nothing but good memories. I don’t feel like I have any unfinished business.”
Every time she came home with a medal — with eight from world championships, including two gold, and another 52 from World Cups including synchro — she made the case for more government funding and corporate sponsorship, and inspired youngsters to take up the sport.
“I’m glad I was a part of that,” she said, “to make it easier for the next generation behind us. It’s like people who have been alive for a long time, they saw it go from horse and carriage to cars to planes. When you see your sport transform that much, it’s a massive difference.”
Canadians who are connected to her sport appreciate not only that she did it, but how.
“Karen put trampoline on the map for Canada and paved the way for our success,” MacLennan said. “She’s had incredible success, but has always stayed humble, showing us that Canadian values like sportsmanship and humility, combined with determination and perseverance produce the best athletes.”
Cockburn took time off after finishing a disappointing fourth at London 2012 to have a baby.
She and fellow gymnast Mathieu Turgeon — another Olympic medallist — are raising three-year-old Emilie in Toronto.
Cockburn loves motherhood but wasn’t ready to hang it up. She wanted to compete in the 2015 Pan Am Games at home — where she won a bronze — and take a fifth and final run at Olympic gold in 2016. The quest fell short as she didn’t qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games.
“Of course my dream was always to come away with an Olympic gold medal,” she said.
“It’s a bit of a sting when you come up short. I was so close to the gold. I mean, my worst performance at Olympics was fourth place. To be that close to gold so many times, that’s tough, but you’re in a judged sport and ultimately it’s out of your control. Every time I went out there I gave it my all, I trained my hardest, and I don’t have any regrets.”
Her career highlights include carrying the Canadian flag out of the stadium in Beijing, and a memorable day at the 2003 worlds when she and coach Dave Ross celebrated gold.
“Winning the world championship was huge to me,” she said.
“That was my goal since I started trampoline as an 11-year-old because it wasn’t an Olympic event. … My coach had never coached a world champion. That was the only day when we were both crying, we were so ecstatic.”
There would be more tears in the lead up to Sunday’s announcement. “As ready as you are to retire, it’s the reflection that gets you teary-eyed,” she said. “It’s really the people that you miss the most: your teammates, your coach.”
That time to reflect gave her perspective on what she gained and gave up while living the disciplined life of an elite athlete.
“I’ve travelled to over 50 countries and met so many wonderful people, and I wouldn’t have had those experiences without sport,” she said.
“But then, of course, you have to sacrifice some things. So, when you retire, you do have this sense of freedom. You don’t have to constantly worry about your diet. You can stay up late. You can go out. Not everything revolves around your training.”
But there is still work to do. She is collaborating with Gymnastics Ontario on sport development projects, she’ll do coaching clinics and she will find other ways to stay involved in the sport she helped transform.
“It is a hard decision to retire,” she said, “but I think you just know when you’re ready to close that chapter.”
Seeing my sport still in the Olympics, and seeing Canada on top … it’s pretty incredible. I take a lot of pride in being kind of a pioneer in that era.