Tomas Minc, an award-winning gymnast and honors student at the College of Education, has been tumbling and flipping since before he could even walk. When he was just six years old, he joined a competitive gymnastics team in Rockville, Maryland, and by age 12, he had earned a coveted spot on his first national team. While he initially competed in individual trampoline, he later pivoted to the double mini event – a switch that would define his career and his education.
The double mini trampoline features a smaller apparatus than a regular trampoline with both an angled and flat section, demanding additional precision and aerial control. This year marks Minc’s ninth international appearance with Team USA, most recently at the 2025 World Cup in Riccione, Italy.
A 2024 U.S. silver medalist, Minc is also a Distinguished College Scholar pursuing a degree in Sport Management in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education (KHE). Balancing full-time college with elite competition is no easy task.
Since trampoline gymnastics is not offered at the collegiate level, many athletes either postpone their career or retire early from the sport. Minc, however, is charting his own course.
“As someone who values their academics and is still peaking athletically, I wanted the best of both worlds,” Minc said, adding that he trains at a gym in Cedar Park four to five days a week. “I applied to a variety of renowned universities around the country that had gymnastics facilities within driving distance, but ultimately UT won me over with its blend of prestigious academics and quality campus life.”
Minc credits his ability to juggle competitive gymnastics and academics to his efficient time-management skills, as well as a full schedule that leaves little time for procrastination. He relies on an organized calendar to structure his days, which typically consist of morning classes followed by afternoon practice.
His competitive spirit fuels his success in both arenas, whether he’s studying for finals or soaring through the air.
“Obviously in gymnastics, I’m putting my maximum effort in my training because I don’t want to lose in competition, but you can say the same things with my academics,” Minc said. “I’m always putting full effort into my studies. To me, an ‘A’ is a gold medal and that’s always the goal, inside the classroom and on the mat.”
Despite his demanding schedule and significant time constraints, Minc has made a name for himself as a prolific content producer and social media influencer with over 552K YouTube subscribers, 268K Instagram followers and 68K Facebook followers. He also collaborates with Texas Athletics on content development and social media strategy.
Minc’s studies in the Sport Management program emphasize the business and organizational components of athletics, covering aspects of marketing, economics, public relations, management and law. This has equipped him with the ability to take charge of his own brand and marketing strategy.
“Learning to promote myself online has led me to pursue a career in sports marketing,” he said. “My dream is to be on the promotional side of big, professional sporting companies and market them globally.”
Minc also shared that his decision to pursue sport management stems from his success on social media and growing interest in marketing.
“Tomas is the embodiment of the term ‘student-athlete,’ and he does an incredible job of balancing the demands of competing for a national team while also standing out in the classroom,” said Matt Bowers, program director and associate professor of instruction. “He’s a shining example of how there doesn’t have to be a trade-off between performance in the athletic arena and the classroom when you are equally dedicated to both.”
Minc believes that his time at COE will help shape him into a well-rounded sports marketer. While he already has some experience with brand promotion, he sees the program as an opportunity to refine his skills and leverage his media presence to promote and advocate for the niche sport he’s so passionate about.
He is currently using his platforms to build attention around trampoline gymnastics in general, and the double mini in particular. Unlike the individual trampoline, the double mini event is not an Olympic sport. “My goal is to spread awareness so that one day, it can be,” Minc said.
One of his favorite quotes is, ‘You have to want it more than fear it.’
“In gymnastics, you have to throw yourself into the air to do a number of flips and twists,” Minc said. “It’s scary. But I want victory more than I fear one flip or trick. In school, it can be scary to do simple things like sit in the front row.
“Just like in the gym, I want to succeed academically more than anything.”
