Training reaps Hawaii reward

While most of her friends were enjoying the Nelson summer over Christmas and New Year, Nelson gymnast Rebecca Fisher was putting in plenty of hard training.

It was all worth it in the end, after she recorded impressive results as part of the 10-strong New Zealand team at the Aloha Gymfest in Oahu, Hawaii last month.

Rebecca, 16, competed in level nine, where she finished in third place overall.

In the individual events, she finished second on beam, fourth on the floor, fifth on the vault and sixth on the bar.

Rebecca modestly said she was not sure what to expect from the competition, which also featured gymnasts from the United States, Australia and Japan.

She said the months of training leading up to the trip were well worth it, considering the fun she had in Hawaii.

"It was so cool, I loved it.

"Heaps of beaches and just really warm – the sea was just so nice."

The team enjoyed tours of the island and were introduced to Hawaiian culture, something she was not familiar with before she left.

Rebecca, who competes for Gymnastics Nelson, has since moved on to level 10 and, all going to plan, should progress to the elite level next year. "That's where the real stuff begins," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News