Living with gymnasts at London Olympics gives an energy jolt to trampoline veteran Karen Cockburn

It was like sipping a triple espresso for breakfast each day.

Karen Cockburn and her trampoline teammate Rosie MacLennan have been living with the Canadian women's artistic gymnasts at the London Olympic village. Seeing first-hand the excitement among the young gymnasts has been like a jolt of adrenaline, especially after the team's history-making fifth-place finish.

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"They have a lot of energy, that's for sure,'' the 31-year-old Cockburn told The Globe and Mail. "It's been fun rooming with a bunch of teenagers.

"They made history, so it inspires us and pushes us."

Cockburn will be looking for her fourth medal in as many Olympics when the women's trampoline competition begins Saturday at the London Games. She remembers the nervous teenaged girl that first took the Olympic stage at the 2000 Sydney Games.

"It was the first time for trampoline,'' said Cockburn, who has won a bronze and two silver medals at previous Games. "People thought it was a demonstration sport, they had no idea what it was.

"I was 19 and just had no idea what was going on. I feel like a totally different person now. It's been amazing to see this sport go from pre-Olympic to this. I have loved the journey with this sport, and I'm so happy people are seeing the exciting stuff we do.''

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MacLennan, 23, is much more relaxed in London than four years ago in Beijing where she finished seventh in her Olympic debut.

"It's amazing how much more prepared I feel this time, and I can deal with how big the Olympics feels," said MacLennan. "This time, I know that at the end of the day, it's still just a trampoline competition."

Cockburn and MacLennan travel together and room together. The friendly competitiveness between the two helps each athlete.

"It's good,'' Cockburn told Postmedia. "I give her a bit of experience, calm her down. She gives me her youthful excitement and energy.

"She's eight years younger than me, so there is quite a bit of a difference, but she's very mature. We don't clash. She's helped me, and I hope I've helped her.''

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MacLennan, who won the Olympic test event at the North Greenwich Arena, said Cockburn's support has helped her develop.

"She's always pushed me, always been someone I've chased,'' MacLennan said. "Now we're hugely supportive of each other. Having that other person in that gym at that high international level is hugely helpful.

"In moments when we both got nervous, we'd both step back and say 'Okay, the sun will rise tomorrow.'"

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