A little girl has been hailed as a “future Olympian” after extraordinary footage of her effortlessly swinging on a 20ft trapeze before landing on a pile of foam bricks in front of her stunned parents went viral on TikTok.
Reighlynn Provo grinned from ear to ear as she swung back and forth five more times without losing control on a trapeze. in a trampoline park in Virginia Beach, Virginia last spring.
The 22-month-old girl, smiling and even swinging her legs, swayed. like a baby version of Team USA gold medalist Simone Biles, before letting go and falling 10 feet into the foam pit below.
Her mother, Aimee, 28, says Reighlynn cried for a second but smiled again when she was pulled out of the hole. She was so impressed with her little girl’s skills that she enrolled her in gymnastics classes in the hope she could become a gymnast.
Videos of Reighlynn’s first attempt at the trapeze have been viewed more than 4.8 million times on TikTok, where other users have called her an ‘Olympic athlete’. ‘in the making’ and praised her as ‘brave’ and ‘strong’.
Reighlynn Provo’s father, Jarrett, 30, helped his daughter grab onto the trapeze before letting her loose to swing 20 feet back and forth on April 17, 2024.
The 22-month-old, smiling and even swinging her legs, rocked back and forth several times like a baby version of a Team USA gold medalist.
Now-viral videos show how Reighlynn’s father Jarrett, 30, helped his daughter grab onto the trapeze before letting her off to swing 20 feet back and forth on April 17 this year.
The smiling girl rocked back and forth a few times before letting go and falling into the pit below, sobbing as she landed face-first, before immediately wanting to do it again.
Aimee said her husband was “scared” to let Reighlynn try it, but the little girl’s confidence on the trampolines reassured him she would be fine.
The mother of two, from Virginia Beach, said: ‘We were all surprised at how well he did.
‘When she pointed out the trapeze, Jarrett was a little afraid to let her do it, but I told him I was pretty sure she could do it.
‘I knew what I had done before at the trampoline park and that there was a soft pit underneath, so I wasn’t worried.
‘The first time Jarrett got scared and picked her up, but she got angry and wanted to do more.
‘He even swung on it a few times before he let go and we had to yell at him to let go because he wanted to hold on as long as he could.
‘When she fell she cried for a moment, but we picked her up and she was perfectly happy and wanted to get back on.
Reighlynn then let go and fell 10 feet into the foam pit below, sobbing as she landed face-first, before immediately wanting to do it again.
Her mother, Aimee, 28, says she was so impressed with her little girl’s abilities that she enrolled her in gymnastics classes in the hope that she could become a gymnast. Pictured: Reighlynn on the trapeze
Aimee says Reighlynn’s passion for gymnastics began while playing on her children’s trampoline at home.
She added: “We hope she can be a budding gymnast and be like Simone Biles. It’s fantastic that she’s interested in this at such a young age.”
‘A lot of people said she was so young that we shouldn’t let her do it, but I don’t respond (to criticism) because I know what I do with my children.’
The TikTok video has over 1,000 comments, with most in awe of her daughter’s talent, but some were concerned she was too young to try the trapeze.
One commented: “A budding Olympic gymnast. You heard it here first.”
A second said: “Toddlers strength literally makes no sense haha. WHY ARE THEY SO STRONG?”
A third joked: “I was worried but she proved me wrong. She’s a pro.”
A fourth added: “He tried to do a little somersault. So brave and strong!”
However, some criticised Aimee and called her “crazy” for allowing Reighlynn to try the trapeze despite not being even two years old.
Jarrett Provo is photographed helping his daughter Reighlynn climb the trapeze
But another user replied: “Why? A lot of gyms have this for little kids’ gym days. There’s someone watching and not being that high up from the foam pit.”
They responded: “Relying on a baby’s (not a toddler’s) grip to hopefully not fall and break their neck? That’s crazy. The baby looks like he’s just started to lift his own head up.”
Another said: “I agree. It’s safer to wait until the child is at least three or older, but I don’t know the family well enough to say they’re crazy.”
‘After all, they made sure the little girl had a handle, someone to watch her and that she was standing on foam.’
