The Dunedin figure skater returned home last week with the junior bronze medal trophy from the international Silver Skate in Kuopio.
''It was unreal at first. I didn't really believe it,'' she said.
''When it hit me about what I'd done I felt proud of myself and felt happy that I'd made other people proud.''
MacGibbon (17) trained in Finland for 10 weeks before the championship with more experienced skaters.
''Having better skaters to train with gave me the motivation,'' she said.
''I learnt from them and it helped me to try harder.''
MacGibbon had competed in Australia, Slovenia and Switzerland in the past but this was the big one.
''I definitely got nervous competing over there,'' she said.
''But I know exactly what I've got to do when I get on the ice and the fire burns within me.''
MacGibbon has been inspired by the Russian skaters she met - 16-year-old Adelina Sotnikova is her favourite.
''I like her flexibility and jump style,'' she said.
She has been coached by former Russian coach Fanis Shakirzianau for the past seven years.
MacGibbon started figure skating at the Gore ice rink 10 years ago when she lived at Brydone in Southland.
''I would go to public sessions and skate round and round for two hours,'' she said.
''Mum couldn't get me off the ice.''
She was so passionate about the sport her mother, Jennifer, decided to shift to Dunedin seven years ago to enable her to train at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
''Skating gives me a feeling of confidence,'' MacGibbon said.
''Nothing else in my world matters when I'm on the ice. I just focus on what I'm doing and feel the confidence growing.''
MacGibbon is dedicated to the sport and trains for 10 hours on the ice each week as well as 12 hours off the ice.
She goes to the gym every day to practise her stretching.
''When I was young I could stretch one way and I had to learn to go the other way as well,'' MacGibbon said.
Her immediate goal is to be competitive at junior and senior world championships and in other international events.
MacGibbon will have her first senior competition at the end of next month in the Otago championships at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
