TWO Redland City Gymsports athletes will take their skills to new heights this year after their selection in elite state trampoline programs.
Charlotte Johnstone and Erin Hopgood will undertake workshops and intensive training as part of the Gymnastics Queensland programs this year.
Johnstone, 15, will join the High Performance training program for her second year, while Hopgood, 18, was selected in the Team Future squad.
During the year, they will take part in training days, workshops and information sessions on topics like nutrition and injury prevention.
Johnstone said the programs aimed to train Queensland athletes to represent Australia at international competitions, including the 2019 Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo.
Hopgood said as well as providing important information about physical and mental health, the program would help gymnasts gain a new perspective on their strengths and weaknesses.
"To be able to get a different coach's perspective on something that we're doing is so helpful and that way you can better your skills," she said.
Gymnasts would also be exposed to selectors for international competition in a training environment, Johnstone said.
The pair, who have both been involved in trampoline gymnastics for more than 10 years, commenced their training with Gymnastics Queensland from late February.
Hopgood said she loved the character-building aspect of trampolining.
"I'm just so much mentally, physically and emotionally stronger at the end of it," she said.
"It's such a good environment to compete in (because) it's competitive but everyone still supports each other," Johnstone said.
"I love the feeling of almost flying, performing all the big skills and taking risks."