ACHIEVE clean up at aerobics Championships

ACHIEVE clean up at the 2009 New Zealand National Secondary School Aerobics Championships on the weekend

Athletes from Achieve Aerobics Academy, an aerobics club within Achieve Academy of Sport and Fitness cleaned up in the International and National divisions at the New Zealand Secondary School Aerobics Championships held on the weekend. The event was held in conjunction with other Gym sports at the New Zealand Secondary School Gymsports Championships at the Auckland Regional Gymsports Centre in Mt Roskill.

World Silver Medalist from St Cuthbert’s College and Achieve, Chelsea Stitt took out Gold, winning the New Zealand Secondary Schools National title in the Junior International Individual Woman’s division with a fantastic score of 19.55 and the Junior International Trio division with a score of 18.20. In the trio division, Stitt won gold alongside her Achieve team mates Abigail Masters and Claire Darwin. Stitt has now won 6 International division National Championship titles in both the Individual and Trio divisions. The trio have now won three International division National Championship titles. Masters and Darwin also did well in the Individual Woman’s division to win silver and bronze. In the Sub-Junior International Division, Ashleigh Pettifor from Achieve, followed her team mates to take out the gold and win a National Championship title in her division also. Stitt, Darwin, Masters and Pettifor all demonstrated the valuable experience they gained representing New Zealand on the World stage in Las Vegas in July.

“I think competing on the world stage in Vegas was a fantastic opportunity for the girls, and it really shows in their performance. Overseas experience at the highest level is the only way we’re going to continue to produce future world medalists and future world champions for New Zealand. I only hope the sport can get some more funding to support the athletes.” Said coach and Director of Achieve Academy of Sport and Fitness, Kelly Aitken.

In the Junior A Individual Woman’s category Shae Ramsey from Achieve won the Gold with Grace Russell of Epsom Girls Grammar School and Achieve winning the Bronze. In the Junior B Trio section, twins, Catherine and Michelle Allbury alongside their team mate Grace Kok from Epsom Girls Grammar School and Achieve struck the jackpot when they took out the NZ title, winning gold in their very first aerobics competition. The girls had been working very hard in the lead up to the competition from the moment they started working with their World Champion and 12 times National Champion coach, (Kelly) Aitken who makes up one third of “JDK” a.k.a the Aitken Triplets. The girls started training at Achieve Aerobics Academy earlier on in the year. Aitken, an Epsom old girl, won National titles for Epsom with her triplet sisters all the way through high school. Today, she is continuing to win Nationals titles for them in a coaching capacity.

“I’m so proud of all the girls. It’s really great to see your hard work pay off. The New Zealand Secondary School Aerobics Championships were a huge success for our Achieve athletes - I’m really pleased for them. They all have very exciting futures ahead of them!” Said Aitken.

So what’s Aitken’s secret on winning National titles?

“There is so much to say here – where do I begin?” Says Aitken with a smile. “Don’t just sit back and dream about it. You have to get up and make it happen. If you know what you want, you just have to believe in yourself, get the right experts to help you along the way, make a plan, put your mind to it and then work very, very hard. When things get tough, you have to keep working through it. There’ll always be challenges along the way, but if you’re prepared to put in the work, almost nothing is out of your reach. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

ends

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