Ten athletes from Otago and Southland, and one from Christchurch, represented New Zealand at the Fitness International Sport Aerobics and Fitness (FISAF) world championships in Belgium recently and produced excellent results.
New Zealand representative coaches Annelise Lowther and Kirsty Snoep (Queens Aerobics), both of Dunedin, and Jess Ramsay (La Muse Aerobics), of Invercargill, also added to the Southern links.
Invercargill’s Ingrid Fleming, 12, Matilda Stevens, 14, and Dani Kramers, 16, coached by Ramsay, Lowther and Snoep, finished in the top 10 of their categories.
Stevens placed third overall in junior female individual — the first New Zealand athlete to reach the podium in 10 years.
Kramers finished fifth overall in the youth female individual category, showing her development after finishing 10th last year, and Fleming placed sixth overall in the cadet female individual category division.
Kramers and Stevens teamed up with Molly Cole, Amber Shaw, Kendyl Hair, Brooke Acker and Pyper Brown as The Avengettes, from Invercargill, in the youth grande fitness team category.
They placed fifth overall, coached by Ramsay.
Billie Allan, 18, and Immy Morey, 17, both coached by Lowther and Snoep, also represented Otago.
Allan made it to the semifinals, finishing 12th overall in youth female individual, and Morey competed in the preliminary round, placing 15th overall in the youth individual category.
Kylie Lyders, of Christchurch, placed 14th overall in the adult female individual category, coached by Emily Lawn (Game on Aerobics).
Lowther, whose older sister Gemma was on the international judging panel, and Snoep were "extremely proud" of their athletes, who surpassed any expectations with their results.
The international competition brought to a close the competitive aerobics season, with athletes returning to training and picking between staying in the international or national stream.
Lowther, Snoep and Ramsay aimed to attend the world championships again next year if New Zealand had athletes selected.
