Howick locals Abbey Bolton, Neela Patel and Madi Taylor couldn’t believe their ears when their team clinched second place out of 17 countries participating at the 30th Annual International Aerobics Championship in the US.
The ecstatic 14-year-olds were part of a team of five. Participating at an international level in the US – hosted by the Association of National Aerobics Championship (ANAC) in Phoenix Arizona – was a first for all of them. And to make podium was a huge achievement.
The girls competed in individual routines and achieved fantastic results in a category featuring more than 60 athletes, with three of the local contestants placing in the top half of the competition.
The team of five had trained hard with a mix of conditioning, tumbling and aerobics sessions and often trained through weekdays, weekends and holidays.
Coached by Amy Nield and Bronte Coluccio at Aspire; and Ashleigh McCaw at Active Attitude, Amy says between the three coaches, they have more than 30 years of experience with Bronte herself having competed on the international stage.
The team was a composite from two clubs – Aspire Aerobix and Active Attitude—and included Hayley Christini from Epsom and Grace Christey from Dargaville.
One of the other Aspire athletes, Hannah Wilton placed 7th in the senior women finals.
