Brock’s soaring to new heights

Brock Batty recently won gold in the men’s 15-16 (U17) event at the 2023 Trampoline World Age Group Championships in Birmingham and has been recognised with a Tier 2 scholarship in the 2024 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program. The 17-year-old trampoline prodigy from Frankston speaks to Sarah Halfpenny about his gravity-defying talents.

What went through your mind when you realised you’d secured the gold medal in the Trampoline World Age Group Championships?
Becoming world age champion is easily the best feeling I’ve ever experienced. I’ve trained so hard for this and dreamt about it every day, so when I finally saw my name on top of the leader board it was the most surreal and rewarding moment of my life. The moment I knew I was world champion, all I could do was cry. It felt like weight had been lifted off my shoulders, as this is something I have wanted for so long.

How did you mentally prepare for your performance?
To mentally prepare myself for an event as big as this came from the work I’d done in the gym. I knew I’d worked so hard that if I just followed the same process on the comp floor, it could all go my way. I’ve found if I can remain calm and in the same mental state as I am in training, I’m able to perform my best.

Describe the training that went into perfecting your routines leading up to the championships.
It’s all about numbers, numbers and more numbers. My competition prep consists of doing multiple routines in a session, to the point where it feels like I will never not complete a routine. When I get to the competition day, I’m just doing what I’ve done every day leading into the competition.

Beating strong competitors such as Dong Wang from China is no small feat. How do you maintain focus and composure in high-pressure situations?
It can be nerve-racking knowing I’m competing against countries such as China. I need to remain calm and focus on myself and not worry about what everyone else can do. At the end of the day I can only control myself and not anyone else; they’ll do what they can do and I’ll do what I can do. The result will show for itself.

Your goals include becoming an Olympic champion. How do you plan to work towards this, and are there specific athletes or role models who inspire you?
To achieve this dream I’ll need to continue the spirit, self-belief, discipline and determination I have. It will take a lot to get to that point, but I genuinely believe I can do all the work required to get there. An athlete I really admire is Dylan Schmidt; he was New Zealand’s first Olympic trampolinist and medallist and the 2022 world champion. He broke China’s winning streak of 11 world championships.

How do you strike a balance between your academic responsibilities and your gymnastics training schedule?
It’s difficult to juggle school work as an athlete. I especially find it challenging because due to my gym’s roof not being high enough I have to train at the State Gymnastics Centre a couple times a week so I can jump at a comfortable height and improve my TOF (time of flight), which is a component you’re judged on in your routine. Going up to train at the State Gymnastics Centre means I’m missing a fair bit of my schooling, so I need to make sure when I’m at school I’m locked in and catching up/getting ahead of school work.

Beyond the competition floor, what other hobbies do you enjoy?
One thing I have learnt as an athlete is it’s really important to have a balanced lifestyle and not make sport my whole personality. I have a few outlets from sport such as fishing, golf, spending time with friends/family, and going to the beach, to name a few.

What advice would you offer young trampoline gymnasts as they pursue their dreams in the sport?
It’s so important to love what you do and do it with 100 per cent effort. If you make sure you’re training hard and pushing yourself every day towards your dreams, I guarantee your day will come where you can look back at all the hard work and say it was worth it.