Finding Freedom 30 Feet in the Air

Jessica Stevens won the bronze medal at the world championships in November and is ranked first for the U.S. Olympic trials.Ms. Drury, a photographer and public speaker based in Brooklyn, was a member of the 2020 U.S. Olympic trampoline gymnastics team.

June 22, 2024

I’ve dreamed of competing in the Olympics for as long as I can remember. I would practice my salute in front of the bathroom mirror, pretending I was about to begin my routine. I imagined what it would look like, what it would feel like, how it would finish in triumph and joy.

A trampoline routine is made up of 10 skills, each consisting of a double or triple flip with countless twists and shapes in between. All 10 must be…