A toddler is being hailed as a ‘future Olympian’ after extraordinary footage went viral on TikTok showing her swinging effortlessly from a 20-foot trapeze before landing on a pile of foam blocks in front of her stunned parents.
Reighlynn Provo grinned from ear to ear as she swung back and forth five more times without losing her grip on a trapeze in a trampoline park in Virginia Beach, Virginia last spring.
The 22-month-old, grinning and even swinging her legs, staggered like a baby version of Team USA gold medalist Simone Biles, before letting go and plummeting 10 feet into the foam pit.
Her mother, Aimee, 28, says Reighlynn cried briefly but beamed as she was pulled from the pit. She was so impressed with her toddler’s skills that she signed her up for tumbling lessons in hopes of becoming a gymnast.
Videos of Reighlynn’s first attempt on the trapeze have been viewed more than 4.8 million times on TikTok, where other users have dubbed her an ‘Olympic athlete’ ‘in the making’ and praised her as ‘brave’ and ‘strong’.
Reighlynn Provo’s father, Jarrett, 30, helped his daughter grab the trapeze before releasing her to swing 20 feet forward and back on April 17, 2024
The 22-month-old, grinning and even swinging her legs, swayed back and forth several times like a baby version of a Team USA gold medalist
The now-viral videos show Reighlynn’s father Jarrett, 30, helping his daughter hold onto the trapeze before letting her go to swing 20 feet back and forth on April 17 this year.
The laughing toddler swung back and forth a few times before letting go and falling into the pit. She sobbed as she hit her face on the ground, but immediately wanted to do it again.
Aimee said her husband was “scared” to let Reighlynn try it, but the toddler’s confidence on the trampolines assured her it would be OK.
The Virginia Beach mother of two said, “We were all surprised at how well she did.
‘When she pointed to 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 wasn’t worried because I knew what she had done before at the trampoline park and that there was a soft pit underneath.
‘The first time Jarrett was scared and picked her up, but she got angry and wanted to do more.
“She even swung at it a few times before she let go. We had to yell at her to let go because she wanted to hold on to it as long as possible.
‘When she fell, she cried for a while, but when we picked her up, she was completely happy again and wanted to get back on.
Reighlynn then let go and fell 10 feet into the foam pit, sobbing as she landed face first, before immediately trying to do it again
Her mother Aimee, 28, says she was so impressed with her toddler’s skills that she signed her up for tumbling lessons in the hopes of becoming a gymnast. Pictured: Reighlynn on the stairs
Aimee says Reighlynn’s passion for gymnastics started when she was playing on her children’s trampoline at home.
She added: ‘We hope she can become a budding gymnast and be like Simone Biles. It’s great 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 that, but I don’t respond to that. [criticism] because I know what I’m doing with my children.’
The TikTok video has garnered over 1,000 comments, with most admiring her daughter’s talent, but some worried she was too young to try trapeze dancing.
One of them remarked, “Olympic gymnast in the making. You heard it here first.”
A second said: ‘Toddler strength makes absolutely no sense haha. WHY ARE THEY SO STRONG?’
A third joked: ‘I was worried but she proved me wrong! She’s a professional.’
A fourth added: ‘She tried to do a little somersault. So brave and strong!’
However, some criticized Aimee as “crazy” for letting Reighlynn try the trapeze despite her not even being two years old.
Jarrett Provo is pictured helping his daughter Reighlynn climb the trapeze
But another user responded: ‘Why? A lot of gyms have this for toddler gym days. Someone is making fun of it and it’s not that high off the foam pit.’
They replied, “Relying on a baby’s (not a toddler’s) grip to hopefully not fall and break its neck? Crazy. The baby looks like it just started holding its own head up.”
Another said: ‘I agree. It’s safer to wait until they’re at least three, but I don’t know the family well enough to call them crazy.
‘After all, they made sure that the little one had a grip, something to hold on to and that she was above the foam.’