Asked what she wished for, O'Neill replied: "Well, you don't tell people what you wish for do you?"
However, she agreed winning a gold medal would be a nice way to top off the day.
Her sister, Brooke, 14, a trampoline exponent, is also among the 1200 athletes, including 100 Australians, who will compete until Saturday next week.
In her first visit to the Olympia gym, O'Neill said nothing "popped out" as such to have her hooked on the discipline.
Nevertheless, the ability to dance with an apparatus left an indelible impression on her over the years.
"When you can catch things it's a great feeling."
The ball routine is the favourite for O'Neill who has been an international for a decade.
She loves every aspect of rhythmic gymnastics, including the make up part.
Like countless girls growing up, she enjoyed putting on make up and wearing her mother's jewellery and oversized shoes.
"I just love it. I do all my make up and how I like it," said the leotard-clad one who started off with ballet.
"I don't like ballet. I did it on and off from when I was 3 or 4. It's too technical and all about being perfect but with rhythmic gymnastics you make it your own."
O'Neill has Olympic dreams but her first step is to Scotland for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next year.
"I have to go through the processes of qualifying first," she says with stable mate, defending national champion Amelia Coleman also in the mix.
O'Neill has had her share of growing pains, the intense workout interfering with her "growth plates".
"I have caught up now," says the teenager who uses Christina Aguilera's Expect in her quite dancy, showy hoop routine.
The ball one carries a piano tune but can be "quite balletic and soft".
Her co-coaches are Kathrine Holdsworth and a Russian, Elena ("her surname is difficult to spell").
O'Neill has benefited immensely from travelling twice to Kirzan, Russia, twice for lessons.
The 50-60 medals punctuating the bedroom of her Christchurch home is a testimony to her dedication.
When she makes a mistake she simply puts it behind and carries on.
"I don't get flustered."
Conversely, Aleisha Brown, of North Harbour, isn't too hot on the make-up and wardrobe department.
The 11-year-old, who is here with her identical twin, Hayley ( 3 minutes younger), is a battler from birth.
"When she was born three months premature, the doctors didn't think she was going to survive," mum Julie Brown said last night after Aleisha claimed two bronze medals in the ball and hoop segments.
Julie took the children to gymnastics to improve their constitution but Aleisha struggled with the artistic aspect so the rhythmic discipline beckoned.
No doubt, Hayley followed her twin.
