Perfect Day: Trampolining star is bouncing with delight

You might wonder why Melissa Day, who is only 28, is taking part in a veterans’ event but she explained it was the description given to competition for trampolinists and gymnasts who have stopped competing at international level.

Melissa, who lectures in sports psychology at Chichester University, travelled to the British championships in Lowestoft, Suffolk, with team-mates from the Kingston Trampoline Academy in Surrey. They won team gold - and Melissa took an individual gold.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to do that well,” she said. “It was a great experience. I don’t compete much these days, I spend more time coaching, and it was nice to be able to show the young people we coach that we still have what it takes to win medals.”

Melissa took up trampolining when she was nine and competed for more than a decade, rising to a standard where she did well at national contests.

She is now involved on the sports pyschology side of the England trampolining squad.

And Melissa is already starting to think going back to defend her title at the vets’ championship next year.

“It would be nice to do that, although now I’ve won gold and the team have too, the pressure and expectation will be on us to win again.”