Thomas Kent Jespersen

“I think I’m having a hard time if I’m not doing anything. I like to develop, to push myself. It’s probably a big part of my life. ”

Thomas is many things, but first and foremost purposeful. He comes from Ringsted, where he also started gymnastics at an early age. Although he tried a lot of different sports, Thomas reached both the National Team in TeamGym and the Elite Team, until he quietly put gymnastics on the shelf a bit as a 25-year-old – simply because he wanted to try something else. At the same time, he had both been an after-school teacher, spent a number of years in the Armed Forces and then he has lived around a bit, among other things. in Costa Rica and in Norway, where he taught gymnastics. He now lives just opposite the school with his dog Nor and is outdoors as often as he can get to it. He often kayaks in the summer, and in fact, according to his own statement, he sleeps better outdoors than indoors.

“I think, no shit, I’m one of those teachers who has taught most different things. I have previously had jumping, outdoor food, physical training, police, knife workshop, handicrafts and martial arts – it is one of my great driving forces right now. ”

With a background in defense, martial arts and elite gymnastics, it takes quite a lot to put pressure on Thomas. Still, he is very aware of how much his students can handle. He himself does not like to pressure anyone, unless he can be sure that they will have a successful experience out of it afterwards – and he is good at assessing that. The right push, the right impact in the right direction, so you have time to get a suck in the stomach without ending up with a feeling of defeat.

It is extremely important for Thomas that the students feel safe. It is a prerequisite for daring to get out on semi-thin ice or to lose a foothold a little, and at the same time be able to maintain confidence in the teacher and that the situation’s pressure does not become too violent. The students do not have to break boundaries, but they must be aware of where they are and be willing to try to push it. It is a vulnerable process, and if you do not respect their trust, you risk losing it. For some, you may have to push them really hard before they get the right thing out of the exercise – and there you have to be very careful that it does not become too little and that it does not comb over.

“We must be fed with success. It is important that we feel that we are successful in what we do, otherwise it is just a breakdown. ”