And if recent results are anything to go by, the Otago sprinter could be in for an exciting national championships starting in Auckland today.
Gibbons cleaned up the Otago women’s senior 100m 20 and 19 years records with a personal best of 11.75sec recently, ranking her third overall in New Zealand for the distance this season.
"When the result came up, I was so shocked," Gibbons said.
"I did not think I’d run the time and then I was just very excited - great to know I’m in good form."
The 19-year-old, who will compete in the senior women’s 100m in Auckland, has had a bumpy year since pulling up lame with a quad complaint during her home national championships in Dunedin last year.
"I was quite gutted because I was in good medal contention last year and then making the hard decision after running the heats to pull out of the final was definitely tough."
It did not take long for her to bounce back, running a personal best at the Australian national championships the following month.
She spent the winter in the gym with her physio, then reinjured her quad slightly at the Oceania championships in Tonga in October - but still finished second in the senior women’s race.
Building back her strength through the last few months had been good - "I’ve seen the differences" - and left her ready to tackle the track this week.
Gibbons will line up against New Zealand Olympian Zoe Hobbs on Saturday, having recently won bronze in a senior women’s 60m race, which included Hobbs, at the national short course championships in January.
"I was so surprised... I did not expect to medal," Gibbons said.
"I’ve raced her (Hobbs) a couple of times, but it’s just insane.
"They’ve got this new Track Stars that’s coming out, which is the Saturday night where it’s all just focused on the top athletes, and it’s going to be so cool.
"The atmosphere will be amazing running in it."
Gibbons, who is coached by her mother, former national hurdler Megan Gibbons, and supported by strength and conditioning specialist Mikey Jacobs, is juggling up to four training sessions a week and a recovery session with her second year studying at university.
She is also part of the national Black Batons relay squad, who compete at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne later this month and hope to qualify for the world relay championships in Botswana in May.
The sprinter is part of a large contingent of 56 athletes representing Otago at the national championships across the four days.
Oli Chignell is out to defend his men’s 5000m title - Olympic triathlete Hayden Wilde is scheduled to compete in the event - while Shay Veitch and Felix McDonald will battle for the men’s long jump title and join the Otago men’s 4x100m relay team, who have been unstoppable in recent years.
Athletics New Zealand has packed the star attractions into one window on Saturday night and the entire competition will be televised for the first time in more than 20 years.
Otago Paralympians Anna Grimaldi (100m) and Holly Robinson (shot put) are among the key attractions at the night session.
Olympic and world champion Hamish Kerr will entertain in the high jump, Olympians Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill will have a showdown in the men’s shot put, Maddi Wesche lines up in the women’s shot put, and Sam Tanner and teen sensation Sam Ruthe compete in the 1500m.
Celebrities, including former Black Fern Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Silver Fern Maia Wilson, will also compete in fun events throughout the night.
