Greg Roe facts for kids

Gregory Vladimir Roe (born May 17, 1990) is famous for creating Freestyle Trampoline. This is a new and exciting type of acrobatics. In Freestyle Trampoline, athletes are in charge of their own training. This is different from traditional acrobatics, where coaches usually lead everything.

Greg Roe is from Canada. He is an entrepreneur, a coach who understands how the body moves (biomechanics), and a social media star. He used to be an athlete himself. He won many gold medals in gymnastics and trampoline competitions. Greg is known for his amazing and brave stunts. You might have seen him on TV shows like America's Got Talent (in 2015), Discovery Channel, Daily Planet, and Das Supertalent in Germany. He showed off his special acrobatic skills on these shows. Today, he is a co-founder of the Freestyle Trampoline Association. He also works on many acrobatic projects all over the world.

Early Life of Greg Roe

Gregory Vladimir Roe was born on May 17, 1990. He was born in Moscow, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Greg spent his first five years in an orphanage in Russia. Then, a Canadian family adopted him. Maureen and Randy Roe from Brampton, Ontario, Canada, welcomed Greg into their home. They already had a son named Douglas.

Greg quickly learned about his new Canadian culture. But he kept his Russian name, Vladimir, as his middle name. So, he became Gregory Vladimir Roe. His time in the orphanage made him tough. He brought this tough attitude to Canada. It was hard for him to fit in at first. He often got into trouble at school. Doctors said he had ADHD, which made it hard for him to focus. He was even asked to leave his first gymnastics class. His coach, Alex Bard, told him he would not succeed in the sport.

However, Greg learned to use his ADHD in a creative way. He could learn anything quickly once he set his mind to it. He used sports and his creativity to find his lifelong passion.

Greg Roe's Education

Greg found his true calling in college. He became very interested in the fitness industry. He studied at Humber College in Etobicoke, Toronto, from 2009 to 2010. After that, he went to the University of Guelph-Humber. He studied Kinesiology there from 2011 to 2013. Kinesiology is the study of how the body moves. He earned his bachelor's degree. At the same time, his trampoline career was really taking off. He was chosen to be on Team Canada in 2010.

During his last year at university, Greg worked as an intern. He worked at the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario (CSCO). There, he tested Olympic athletes from all over Canada. Later, he worked at CSCO as a fitness tester. He helped different sports teams on special projects.

Besides his Kinesiology background, Greg has many coaching certifications. He is certified by the National Canadian Coaching Program. He is a Level 2 Gymnastics coach and a Level 3 Trampoline coach. He also has certifications in Olympic Weightlifting. He is certified by the International Society for the Advancement of Anthropometry. Greg is also CanFit Pro Certified. He knows CPR and how to manage risks.

Greg has traveled a lot, which has taught him many things. He learned about how different cultures view sports. These experiences have been very important for his coaching. They help him understand athletes from many different viewpoints.

Greg Roe's Career

Gymnastics Journey

After his first gymnastics gym closed, Greg moved to Bramalea Gymnastics. He was 11 years old. His coaches there were Doron Kernerman and Titus Ruddock. Greg started to focus more on his training. He became the top male athlete at Brampton Gymnastics. He began winning medals at competitions.

Brampton Gymnastics later closed because it ran out of money. Greg had to find another gym. He went back to Gymnastics Mississauga. This time, Alex Bard, his former coach, accepted him. Greg was now very focused. He then worked with Men's coaches Chris Foo and Gary Isaacs. In 2007, he won a gold medal at the Canadian Nationals. He won it on the Parallel bars in the Level 6 Open National Level.

Greg started training for Junior and Senior National competitions. But he felt the strict rules did not give him enough freedom. So, in 2008, he decided to leave gymnastics. He moved into trampoline full-time. With his gymnastics background, he quickly became very good at trampoline.

Trampoline Success

After leaving gymnastics in 2008, Greg quickly became skilled in trampoline. During his gymnastics years, he had trained at SkyRiders Trampoline facility. This was in Richmond Hill, Ontario, just north of Toronto. He only trained once a week for fun. It helped his gymnastics training.

Once Greg started competing in trampoline, he quickly moved up the ranks. He won Canadian Nationals in his first year at the Junior National Level. Just two years later, he earned a spot on Team Canada. The Olympic coach Dave Ross was his head coach. Greg was consistently in the top four nationally. In 2010, he started competing internationally. He represented Canada at several World Cup competitions.

In 2013, he became the Senior National Synchronized Champion. He won this title with his teammate, Sebastien St-Germain. He also received an award for the Highest Difficulty. This was at the Aalsmeer Flower Cup in The Netherlands in March 2011.

Even though Greg was becoming a strong world competitor, he didn't really like competing. His teammates and coaches said he "just put up with it so he could bounce on the supertramp." Greg loved inventing new skills. He also liked trying out new coaching ideas. These ideas were often very different from what others did. His teammates, coaches, and the industry often did not approve. Greg was independent from birth, so he didn't see these struggles as big problems. But his independent nature and strong will eventually led to disagreements with his sports federation.

At the same time, Greg was using social media. He quickly became famous worldwide for his online videos. His videos on Facebook and Instagram became very popular. His online fame really grew when a trampoline video was released on YouTube. It was filmed by the famous YouTuber and movie director Devin Supertramp. This was the first time a traditional trampoline athlete became famous online. This video really helped Greg's career as a social media influencer.

Around 2013–2014, Greg was officially removed from Team Canada. They felt he did not fit in with the team's culture. After getting a letter from Dave Ross, Greg saw this as a chance. He decided to create a new sport in his own way. He went on to create Freestyle Trampoline. This became a new community and sport.

Coaching Philosophy

Greg started teaching when he was just 12 years old. He was a 'Coach in Training' (CIT) at Bramalea Gymnastics. Now, he hosts coaching clinics. He trains athletes and other coaches around the world. This includes performers from Cirque du Soleil. He also works with the Lords of Gravity, a popular basketball dunk team in Hungary. Greg is currently the head trampoline coach for Snowboard Germany's national Slopestyle and Half Pipe teams. He works with all parts of the trampoline industry. This includes garden trampolines, trampoline parks, and traditional trampolines. He also works with sports outside of acrobatics. He created a special certification. This allows all sports to benefit from trampoline training.

In 2018, Greg created the first Indonesian Trampoline Team. This team competed in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. He still trains the team from afar. He uses online videos and webinars as they improve. He has worked with many Nitro Circus athletes. These athletes travel the world doing amazing stunts. Greg uses his creative thinking to help them with their extreme stunts. This is his special skill.

Trampoline parks are a newer part of the global acrobatic industry. Greg has been working with park managers and owners. He helps them promote safety and education in these parks. Parks are sometimes known for not having good safety rules. Many traditional coaches have avoided them. But Greg and his team have actively worked with different brands and groups. They help provide education for this new part of the industry.

Greg's coaching ideas are different from other coaches. Traditional acrobatics often uses a simple trial-and-error method. A coach guides the athlete. Greg believes this makes athletes too dependent. He has shown that athletes struggle to solve new problems with this method. Greg believes in giving athletes more control over their training. He uses a "no-hand spotting" approach. This means athletes learn to control their own training. They can then manage themselves in any situation, even without a coach. He thinks that as the industry grows, more people without training will do acrobatics. So, it is important to teach athletes to train themselves safely.

Greg's unique "3-Dimensional model" for acrobatics is like a "map." Athletes can "load" different parts of this map. They do many different types of skills. They move through different body axes. He believes athletes gain awareness of their body in space by moving. This builds connections in their brain for each skill. He thinks every known skill is just a series of different rotations. These rotations happen in the body's joints and around its axes. He teaches athletes to "build" their skills like a tower. They can stack different rotations in any order they want, in a controlled way.

In his book, "Coaching Creatures – The Unsolved Circuits," he explains this "build up" method. It helps athletes feel more confident. It gives them full control over their training. This is true whether they are in a gym or outside in a new place.

This "hands-off" approach is very popular with the new Freestyle Trampoline community. They like to control their own training. Greg simply teaches them how to train safely on their own terms. Greg has worked with many athletes. He is one of the most diverse coaches in acrobatics. Greg has also started a special Research and Development business. This is part of his Global Holdings company. This part of his business studies athlete development, parent development, economics, and psychology. It looks at the acrobatic industry from a complete 3D view.

Business Ventures

After leaving Team Canada, Greg decided to learn about marketing and business. Instead of going to school, he traveled. He gained valuable experience by meeting with many leaders. He met people both inside and outside the sports industry. He combined his research from university with his experience as an athlete. He worked with business-minded people. They helped him share his unique coaching style and social media presence. This allowed him to influence the industry worldwide.

In 2013, he teamed up with Trish McGeer from inGear Productions. He also partnered with Bagjump Action Sports GmbH (Austria), a top airbag maker. They started a series of training clinics across Europe. He also performed at the Baltic Games in 2014 (Poland). He was at the Bravalla Festival (Sweden). He appeared on Das Supertalent (Germany) in 2014. And he was on America's Got Talent in 2015. He became a social media influencer. He was the first in his industry to do so.

Greg used his influence to help brands reach their audience. He also helped spread education around the world. This was for all three parts of acrobatics. It was also for other sports that use aerial movements. These include Flyboarding and Wind Tunnel Flying. Greg travels a lot. He meets with his team members to work on different projects.

Greg led the team that created the first 3D Mobile Trampoline Simulator. This simulator has a free version. It also has a Premium version. Gamers can explore the GRT Trampoline Park on their phones. They can bounce freely and practice tricks. They can even compete with live leaderboards. There are also real-life events. Greg has launched a special digital coin (cryptocurrency) and a marketplace for NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). He plans to create a virtual world (Metaverse) through his esports business. The simulator is always being improved. You can play it on all app stores.

In 2018, Greg officially put all his businesses into one company. It is called GRT Holdings, Inc. This company includes stocks, digital currency, real estate, acrobatic equipment, and other assets. During the Covid Pandemic, GRT Holdings, Inc. bought over 10 other new companies. This helped Greg adapt to the pandemic. Greg is always looking to learn about new industries. He starts many new projects each year through his global business network.

Freestyle Trampoline Association

In 2017, Greg and Trish created the first official Freestyle Trampoline competition. It was called the Garden Trampoline Games (GT Games). This event was a big success. It received attention from media around the world. It led to the creation of Freestyle Trampoline as a new sport. The LA Times said it grew online. Greg and Trish quickly created the Freestyle Trampoline Association (FTA). This group helps manage these events worldwide. They have been running for several years. They offer a new way to compete and train in acrobatics for the new generation.

The FTA works with many partners around the world. They have their own learning platform called the GRT Network. They offer a certification for freestyle athletes and coaches. This teaches Greg's 3-dimensional model of acrobatics. The FTA runs several competition series worldwide. These are for different skill levels of athletes. For example, there is the Freestyle Trampoline World Championships for top athletes. And there is T.R.A.M.P Champ for new athletes. The FTA is the first group of its kind for these events. Media around the world have praised them for their new ideas in a traditional industry.

Media Appearances

• Das Supertalent – 2014 Season 8, Episode 9
• Discovery Channel – 2014
• Daily Planet – December 2014
• America's Got Talent – 2015 – Season 10, Episode 6
• Ripley's Believe It Or Not – 2016
• Riding Zone – Freestyle Trampoline – 2019
• New York Times – Freestyle Trampoline – 2018
• LA Times – Freestyle Trampoline 2018
• Indonesian Trampoline Team 2018