Friends' association Jump e.V.

Support for injured trampoline gymnasts

Trampolining is a fascinating sport where the human being gets close to the dream of flying. But even the most fascinating sport can be risky and within a split of a second the dream of flying could die. That’s what happened to Michael Serth, the first German Trampoline gymnast who participated in the Olympic Games. It was during practice when he worked on an element that he did thousands of times before but this time something went wrong. He forgot a part of the element, a twist and he landed so unlucky that he needs a wheelchair ever since he had that accident.

The huge Trampoline-Family did not forget about Michael Serth. His fate started the campaign “Eat, Sleep, Jump – Repeat”. The campaign was a big success and was the trigger for founding this aid association.

It all started in Büttelborn in May 2016 right before the German Double mini championship took part. Mirko Bott, the trampoline coach in Büttelborn, gathered all his gymnasts to think about how to help Michael Serth. The result was the Slogan “Eat, Sleep, Jump – Repeat”. These four words found their way on to Silicon Bracelets that were sold at the championship and lead to the first donations. The money is used to support the expensive Rehabilitation therapy of Michael Seth and other injured gymnasts.

"We thought 500 bracelets would be enough"

In addition, a commission was set up to advise on the allocation of donations together with the board of directors. Here, Mirko Bott, the father of the charitable idea, finds himself again, Petra and Udo Döring also belong to his home club TV Büttelborn and have been a moderator and organizational aid at trampoline championships for several years. With Matthias Köchling from Münster, a neurosurgeon could be won as a medical specialist for the commission.

“Back then it was really a very short-term and spontaneous idea and we thought that with 500 ribbons we could easily do it. The success was so overwhelming that we then let the campaign continue ”, explains Mirko Bott about the beginnings when the trampoline manufacturer Eurotramp ordered 1000 ribbons. "I am really happy that we have now put this project on a firm footing and that we hope that we will now receive a lot of donations," adds the initiator.
In parallel to the elaborate founding process, the association is already working on further ideas to increase the donation amount. In addition to the ribbons, there are already number plate holders decorated with the slogan, the proceeds of which are intended to help injured trampoline gymnasts. T-shirts and banners will be ready when the sponsoring association presents itself for the first time at a major championship. [Nbsp]

The board

The current board's members:

Chairman:

Ralf Schutz

2. Chairman:

Marc Schmittka

Treasurer:

Dr. Frauke Schmittka-Voosholz

members of the support committee:

Petra Döring, Udo Döring, Matthias Köchling, Mirko Bott

The founders

Ralf Schutz

Ralf saw the light of day in Essen in 1963. Living in the "village" of Essen-Frintrop, he belongs to the Turnerbund Frintrop 03 and has worked in various board positions for several decades, currently as 3rd chairman. After a few years as a competitor, he has been chairman of the DTB's technical committee for trampoline gymnastics since 2013. If the job and the "club dairy" permit, you can go skiing or the last paradise in the Mediterranean, on the island of Formentera.

Marc Schmittka

Back then in 1983 Marc saw the light of day in Essen in the heart of the Ruhr area. Growing up in the Ruhr area, he fled to Münster in 2011 and moved in with his current wife, with whom he has a young daughter. Very fond of the trampoline sport, he and Frauke head the trampoline department of the TSC Münster-Gievenbeck and is responsible for competitions in the technical committee for trampoline gymnastics in the German Gymnastics Federation.

Frauke Schmittka-Voosholz

Frauke, married, one daughter, was born in 1985 and grew up in Senden (Westphalia). The upper school and subsequent studies moved her to Münster. Here she completed her studies in economics with a subsequent doctorate. She currently works in tax consulting and auditing and is therefore the perfect choice for the finances in the association. Together with Marc, Frauke forms the trampoline department head at TSC Münster-Gievenbeck. Furthermore, Frauke is on the committee for competitions in trampoline gymnastics in the German Gymnastics Federation.

Matthias Köchling

Our "real" doctor (let me through, I'm a doctor) was born on April 12, 1972 in Lingen / Ems and lives in Münster. Matthias is married and has 3 children. He is a member of TSC Gievenbeck and works full-time as a neurosurgeon with a focus on neuro-oncology and spinal surgery at Medisch Spectrum Twente in Enschede.

Mirko Bott

Mirko was born in 1972 and has always lived with his wife Steffi in Büttelborn. [Nbsp] He heads the trampoline department at TV Büttelborn and is responsible for public relations in his club. He works in sales at EVONIK Performance Materials GmbH. In addition to trampoline gymnastics, handball and curb are the great passions of Mirko, a club member. And when it's not about the club, the Botts are always happy to take them to the island of Sylt or to the mountains in the tranquil Kartitsch.

Petra Döring

In 2017, Petra completed half a century from which she first spent in Westphalia. But Büttelborn has been her beloved home for a long time, where she finally went with her two children to the sighting training of the new trampoline department founded by Mirko. Not much later, the beginning of her unexpected sporting career followed, during which she worked as a trainer and referee on TV Büttelborn as passionately as she was a reliable organizer behind the scenes at championships at all levels.

Udo Döring

Udo is the half of the Döring couple who usually hold the microphone in their hands when they go out together. Since 1991 sports editor of the daily newspaper "Darmstädter Echo" - and thus also journalistic companion of the successes of Michael Serth - the "career" began as moderator with the employment at the German double mini-championships in 2011, which his hometown club organized. The former cyclist, who was also the organizer of a tennis charity tournament for 20 years (total proceeds over 100,000 euros), like his wife and children, found his way to trampoline.