First Southern Championships in Wanaka

Aspiring Gymsports hosts successful Southern Championships in new Wanaka Facility

Aspiring Gymsports has proudly hosted the Southern Championships for the first time in its new Wanaka facility, marking a major milestone for both the club and the wider Central Lakes community. David Phillips, Head of Gymnastics at Gymnastics New Zealand, was quick to praise the venue's potential:

"The Aspiring Gymsports facility is a modern, well-equipped space with hosting opportunities that will benefit the entire Central Lakes sporting community. It’s an incredible asset to the region."

Held last weekend, the event attracted over 300 gymnasts, families, spectators, and judges from across the South Island, including Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Waimate, Dunedin, Invercargill, and Queenstown. Local students from Te Kura O Tititea | Mount Aspiring College also volunteered their time to assist with operations, alongside parents and grandparents of our gymnasts.

The competition was a showcase of high-performance gymnastics, with senior judges from Christchurch offering positive feedback about the venue. Andy Gorton, a Men's Artistic judge, shared:

"This was a fantastic event with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, while still maintaining the seriousness of the competition. In my opinion, the venue is outstanding and an improvement on many other locations."

Ruth Kennedy, Manager of the Dunedin Gymnastic Academy (DGA), was honoured with the Nola Paterson Trophy for her dedicated services to gymnastics in Otago, while Isabella Mei of DGA received the Noeline Munro Trophy for the highest execution score at a national level.

Founded in 2002, Aspiring Gymsports has long been a community-driven club, benefiting from a strong relationship with the local council and a dedicated team of volunteers. Their successful lobbying efforts led to securing the repurposed former Mitre 10 building, now a thriving gymnastics and youth hub. As the only facility south of Christchurch capable of hosting such a large-scale event under one roof, Aspiring Gymsports is committed to continuously adapting the competition to meet the evolving standards of Gymnastics New Zealand (GNZ) and ensure the health and safety of all participants.

In contrast, Dunedin Gymnastic Academy, the largest club in Otago, has faced ongoing challenges, including asbestos contamination and flooding, while also struggling with limited local council support for venue improvements. Hopefully the Dunedin City Council will make a better effort to support a “fit for purpose venue” in what is the original home of Otago Gymnastics. Future Southern Championships will be split into separate junior and senior competitions, so that smaller clubs with more limited facilities can also have the opportunity to host.

Beyond competitions, Aspiring Gymsports is expanding its offerings to the wider gymnastics community. The club already runs a popular summer camp for Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG) gymnasts from other regions and is planning to extend this to include Women's Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) this year. In addition, there has been interest from North Island gymnasts in hosting a high-performance training camp in the stunning Central Otago region. The facility also supports participants from

M!NT, a programme for athletes with additional needs, as well as athletes from other sports including snow sports and adaptive athletes. The club is in its 2nd year of providing a gymnastic based program of activities for Te Kura O Tititea - Mount Aspiring College and various local Early childhood centres and Primary Schools.

Looking ahead, the Otago Artistic Gymnastic Team to compete at Nationals will be announced following the Canterbury Senior Championships on August 9-10.