The New Zealand Masters Games is an annual celebration of sport, held every February, alternating between Dunedin and Whanganui. With the inspiring slogan “Kori Tonu / Keep Playing,” the event focuses on participation, fitness, and fun—bringing together athletes from across New Zealand to compete in over 60 sports. Beyond the competition, the Masters Village buzzes with live music, social events, and plenty of opportunities for athletes to connect and celebrate their achievements.

Held at Whanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club, the 2025 gymsport competition brought an electrifying mix of trampoline, double mini-trampoline, aerobics, and men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics. For the first time ever, a special mixed event was introduced, allowing competitors to pick an artistic event and showcase an entertaining, crowd-pleasing routine. Judged on execution with extra points for creativity and audience appeal, the event was a massive hit, with participants already eager for the next edition.

Kelly Taylor-Ward from Whanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club played a key role in making this event a success, serving as the sport partner and organising the competition while also judging artistic, trampoline, and double mini.

“The best part of the Masters Games is the atmosphere and the camaraderie between athletes. It’s such a fun event, and just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean we have to stop doing gymnastics!” she shared. While Kelly focused on officiating this year, she has previously competed in women’s artistic, trampoline, double mini, and even indoor netball at past Masters Games.

Another standout feature was the team event, where age brought a competitive edge. Athletes earned 0.1 bonus points per year over 25, meaning a 30-year-old gained 0.5 points, while a 50-year-old added 2.5 points to their team’s total. With novice, intermediate, and advanced categories, there was a challenge for every skill level.

The 2025 event was packed with inspiring and standout performances:

• Kat Mccormack dazzled in aerobics, then boldly took on trampoline and double mini after encouragement from fellow competitors.
• Kaylee Willoughby wowed the crowd in the mixed event, delivering an elegant and flexible parallel bars routine, earning her gold!
• Fabian Day stunned in the men’s 20-29 advanced division, landing a huge handspring front vault.
• Elle Stetton impressed judges in the intermediate 30-39 category, taking home the best choreography award for her artistic floor routine.

A huge congratulations to all competitors who were absolutely amazing! And a big thank you to all judges and volunteers for their time and expertise. We can’t wait to see what next year brings in Dunedin.