Christchurch School of Gymnastics (CSG) are predominantly a recreational and artistic club, but are pleased to have qualified twelve athletes through to the 2016 Indo Pacific Championshps, who will be accompanied by their tumbling coach Nikki Growcott, as one of the NZ team coaches.

We caught up with senior trampoline athlete Natalie Donovan, on their preparation for the upcoming Championships…

How is training going for the Indos squad?
Training is going really well. The tumblers are working on improving the difficulty of their passes while the trampoline athletes are working on building clean, but slightly harder routines.

What are the athletes hoping to achieve at their competition?
The main focus is on performing to the best of their ability, and will be looking to go out and perform the routines that they are capable of and have been training hard for. A couple of the 13-14 year DMT girls are looking to make finals.

What is everyone most looking forward to about Indo’s?
They’re all looking forward to wearing the NZ leotard but also the whole experience – travelling and staying together, the event atmosphere, and the friendships that come with going to competitions. Most of the girls are excited to catch up with friends from different cities and generally just enjoy the competition.

How many of your squad have been to Indos before?
They are all first timers which makes it exciting for everyone, and no one really knows what to expect in terms of competition level. This will be the highest level of trampoline competition we will have attended so far.

“This is the biggest team of athletes from CSG going to an international competition in a long time, and the fact that its trampoline makes us very proud! We’re looking forward to seeing some great routines and new skills performed out on the biggest stage that these athletes have stepped onto before. A lot of excitement and giggles are had whenever Indos is talked about.”