London Olympics 2012: Two Brothers, One Sport (VIDEO)
Steven and Jeffrey Gluckstein are two of the most aerial guys around. The two trampoline gymnasts can soar through the air in the middle of New York City’s Times Square and still maintain their focus. How? They go into “competition mode.”
“It’s a zone you go into – you put your blinders on and nothing can distract you,” Steven said. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening ten feet to your left or ten feet to your right, you’re not going to be distracted.” Watch the Gluckstein brothers discuss staying focused & competing in the same sport:
Jeffrey (left) and Steven (right) Gluckstein
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How can you apply that “competition mode” to your every day life – whether on the trampoline or in the boardroom?
“Be yourself, as my coach taught me, and just realize who you are and be yourself. That’s it. That’s the trick to it,” Jeffrey says.
“If you’re going to excel in anything – whether it’s working, life, learning, you need to put one hundred percent concentration in it,” added Steven. “I think once you do that, you’ll succeed.”
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The Glucksteins, from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., say that being brothers and competitors makes them better athletes, but “emotionally, it’s a roller coaster,” since both want to win yet both want the best for each other. They experienced that emotional roller coaster in late June, when Steven won the U.S. Gymnastic Trampoline trials, but Jeffrey came in third, meaning only Steve will be competing in the London Olympic Games, which begin later this month.
“It usually stays in the gym but sometimes it comes up at home – and we just talk about it,” Jeffrey said of the competition on the tramp, but it’s usually “pretty laid back.”
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