The beginnings of a remarkable sporting career often take place in the most inconspicuous moments. For trampolinist Caio Lauxtermann, this journey began in his own garden in a small town near Los Angeles (USA), where he took his first steps on the trampoline with his father. When you see the 21-year-old jumping today, it seems as if the feeling of flying is becoming a reality and gravity is just an option. But the development from little boy on the garden trampoline to Cottbus world champion was no small leap.
When Caio was still a child, his father got him into trampolining. He always set him small goals to develop his skills on the trampoline. The fun of the challenges motivated Caio and so he was able to jump higher and higher, teaching himself his first somersaults and twists. ‘The funny thing is that my dad had nothing to do with sport himself, he could never jump on a trampoline,’ remembers Caio Lauxtermann. The trampoline in the garden was once intended as a fun piece of play equipment before it became training equipment. ‘Back then, my parents probably couldn't have imagined that this garden trampoline would one day take me so far.’ With ambition and enthusiasm, he found his way into a local club. From the age of nine, his parents brought him to the gym several times a week for training. There, he impressed the coaches with his talent and soon became part of the American national team. In 2017, Caio Lauxtermann was allowed to compete at the Youth World Championships in Bulgaria, where he first became aware of the Lausitz Sports School - unsuspecting that he would one day live there.
His childhood in the USA was characterised by his love of sport and the support of his family. However, his parents decided to move to his father's home country, and so life took him to Germany at the age of 14. However, trampolining was not possible in Osnabrück, his family's new home. There are only a few clubs in Germany with suitable training conditions. Because he didn't want to give up his dream of becoming a successful trampolinist, there was only one option: he had to find a new club. At the time, there were three training centres for trampolining in Germany: Bielefeld, Salzgitter and Cottbus.
The choice fell on the Lausitzer Sportschule in Cottbus. He had already heard about the ideal combination of schooling, excellent training conditions and the local boarding school during the World Championships, which ultimately convinced him. Here, as a teenager, he was able to live without his family in a completely foreign city without being alone. In contrast to his previous club in the USA, the sports school offered facilities specifically geared towards trampolining and a dedicated team of coaches to support the young athletes. The man who told him enthusiastically about Cottbus at the World Championships in Bulgaria became his coach. The transition from the USA to Germany was initially challenging for Lauxtermann, particularly due to the language barrier and the new surroundings. ‘But it was really worth it and I'm glad that I had this experience,’ he summarises.
His first competition in Germany was an important event for Caio. ‘I was really nervous. You could see what everyone was thinking: OK, the new guy is coming - let's see what he can do. I had to and wanted to prove myself,’ he recalls. The competition went really well. He even went on to win silver at the 2018 World Youth Championships and first place the following year. This time he competed for Germany. For the newcomer, this was a sign that the training in Cottbus had paid off and that he had finally really arrived. His determination and talent enabled him to adapt quickly and find his place at the sports school. Supported by a close circle of friends and a professional training environment, he blossomed. The better training conditions gave Caio the opportunity to develop himself further. ‘At my old club, the hall was quite flat, which meant I couldn't jump higher and therefore couldn't increase the difficulty of my jumps,’ he explains. The current training hall at the Lausitz Sports School is around 12 meters high. Here he was able to intensify his training and learn more varied jumps. In 2023, he was able to travel to Birmingham with the German men's national team and won the world championship title there with his synchronised partner Fabian Vogel. In March 2024, the German team defended its title at the Trampoline World Cup in Cottbus.
But for Lauxtermann, it's not just about personal success. As an ambassador for the Lausitz Sports School, he proudly carries his adopted home out into the world and inspires young athletes to pursue their dreams. With his eyes firmly set on the future, Caio Lauxtermann remains a name to keep an eye on in trampolining. His journey is far from over and it is safe to say that he will continue to enrich the world of sport with his talent and passion. Caio is currently a sports soldier and can therefore actively focus on his training. He also tries to use social media to promote his sport. As a fringe sport, trampolining does not receive much attention. In videos on his channel, for example, you can also see his perspective of the jumps and get an idea of the feeling of flying.
During stressful everyday life, Caio Lauxtermann regularly finds refuge and peace at the observation tower on Cottbus' Baltic Sea. For the 21-year-old, this place is more than just a simple tower - it is his symbol of serenity and inner peace. In the years he has spent here in Lusatia, Caio has not only observed how the lake has steadily filled up, but also how his own life has brought sporting fulfillment. As the state of the lake has progressed, so has his sporting career. From a shy newcomer, he developed into a world champion in trampolining. His secret? The ability to stay calm and take a deep breath before a competition. He imagines the warm sunset over the glistening waters of Cottbus's East Sea.
Trampolining may be a comparatively young sport in Germany, but it has already found a strong foothold in Cottbus. At the Lusatian Sports School, pupils are given the opportunity to train in this sport. The performance center plays a crucial role for the region, as it provides high-quality training not only for students from Cottbus, but also from the surrounding communities and even other federal states. As part of the FIG World Cup in trampoline gymnastics, a grant was ceremoniously presented to support the construction of a new trampoline hall for the sports school. This hall, financed with 11.5 million euros from structural strengthening funds, will help to improve sports training in the region in the future. The new trampoline hall will improve the training conditions for young athletes and thus strengthen the competitive sports structures in Lusatia.
