Pakuranga head student Meg Sutton has just returned from a trip to Australia to compete in the FISAF (Federation of International Sports, Aerobics & Fitness) Australian Nationals.
Her team represented New Zealand in the Aerobics Adult Open Division – an amazing achievement, as four of the five members are still in high school.
Having qualified for the World Championships in the Netherlands in October 2017, Meg’s team decided to attend the Australian Nationals to gauge how they would fare against such stiff competition.
“The Australians and Czechs are the best in the world,'” said Meg, “So we wanted to see if we had any chance against them before committing to the World Champs.”
They competed against the top team from each of the Australian states and, phenomenally, they placed third to the delight of Meg and her teammates.
“We were staggered!” she said.
“Just really shocked, you know. It was the best five days and we didn’t know what to expect. It was just amazing to place against teams who were 25 and older.”
The team now faces a tough decision regarding the World Championships.
“We don’t have any sponsorship, so we would have to fund it ourselves,” said Meg.
“Plus, most of us are doing NCEA exams this year, so going away in October is a big ask.”
