Jumping rope saved Shaun Hamilton’s life.

When he showed up to a new school in a new city, Sweetwater, Texas, the day before third grade, he had zero friends, a pronounced stutter and a learning disability.

But the buzz throughout school that first day was about the after-school tryouts for the jump rope team. Hamilton indulged his curiosity and headed to the gym, where he found a performance-based team that did shows during halftime at local basketball games.

He made the team and embarked on a long path that led to competitive rope jumping, capped off by winning the rope skipping organization FISAC-IRSF’s world championship title in 1999.

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“I loved the sport, what it did for me, and what it does for children around the world or people who might be shy or not fit into other sports,” said the International Jump Rope Union president.

And that stutter and learning disability? He credits jumping rope with clearing it up without seeing doctors or therapists.

“I know there are a lot of people out there like me who might not fit in certain areas,” Hamilton said. “But if you get a rope in your hands, your confidence goes up and your right and left brain connections increase dramatically. I want to get the rope in as many people’s hands as possible.”

For the first time, International Jump Rope Union and Colorado Springs Sports Corporation will bring the World Jump Rope Championships to the Springs. The event will combine the world championships, the International Open Tournament and the Junior World Championships. It runs Sunday through July 23 at Ed Robson Arena at Colorado College. Preliminaries are Sunday through July 20. Finals are July 21-23.

A jump rope competition is similar to a track and field competition in that there are multiple events and multiple champions. One thousand athletes from more than 30 countries will compete in 17 events, including double Dutch, single rope and double Dutch speed, and single rope and double Dutch freestyle.

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One of this year’s most competitive events is the female single rope freestyle, says Hamilton. Competitors have 1 minute and 15 seconds to meet basic requirements and bring out their fancy feet and creativity.

“You entertain us with tricks,” he said. “It’s a routine. It has acrobatics, rope manipulations. The females really stand out. They come ready to give you a show. It’s impressive what they’re able to put together.”

Another highlight is the 30-second speed: “This is the fastest jumper race. For example, China just killed us. You’re talking some eight to 10 jumps a second. They’re moving,” Hamilton said.

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Athletes in the junior world championships are 12 to 15. Senior competitors are 16 and older — a few years ago a 67-year-old from Japan competed.

Competitive jump roping stretches back four decades, and while it’s not part of the Olympic Games, Hamilton is hopeful that will change.

“We’re working on it. A key portion of the event will be showcased on Olympics.com, which is humongous,” Hamilton said.

“This will be the largest world championship and viewing audience we’ve ever seen.”

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