Trio rise to big challenge of national champs

Western Heights High School gymnasts have high hopes for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Gym Sports Championships starting this morning.

Ivan Van Niekerk, aged, 15 siblings Allannah and Damian Hewett, aged 14 and 16, have been training for up to 14 hours a week to prepare for the competition. The trio will compete at the Gymsport and Recreation Centre in Auckland, with 730 competitors from 86 schools.

Allannah will be one of the 658 girls dominating the competition.

This will be her second year competing in artistic gymnastics and trampoline. She hopes to get first or second for Level 4 artistic gymnastics, which includes vault, floor, beam and bars and top three for trampoline. Though Ivan only started competing three years ago, he is hoping for top three in trampoline as well as B-grade men's artistic gymnastics.

They both love gymnastics because of the challenge. Allannah said it is worth the reward of working hard towards a goal and finally achieving it.

Damian has been competing for four years and will be competing in the elite level for tumbling. He said he loves "the fear factor" about gymnastics, but the biggest challenge will be keeping his nerves calm.

"It's better if I don't think about it."

Making time for his social life is another balancing act for Damian. This year he won't compete in other events so he can attend his girlfriend's school ball, having missed out on his own. His dream is to make it to the Olympics in 2020 and get a scholarship to Michigan University in USA. Fiona Hewett, who is mother and co-coach to the siblings, says she hopes they will have fun, do their absolute best and walk away feeling proud.