The 15-year-old’s heading off to represent New Zealand in the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) Classic in Texas next month.
Being held from February 20 to 23, the WOGA Classic will see 4500 competitors from 10 countries compete in bar, beam, vault and floor routines.
It’ll be Rosa’s first time doing what she loves on an international stage, which she says is both exciting and nerve-racking.
Rosa got involved in gymnastics when she was just 5, and has since been a regular in the competitive circuit — she was invited to attend her first competition the year she started.
Last year, she was crowned the all-round South Island champion for her class, and was second on the vault, bars and floor, and third on beam.
Additionally, in last year’s NZ national champs she came fourth all-round for her class, missing out on the bronze medal by just 0.3 points.
The Queenstown Gymnastics Club member’s currently training 18 hours a week, but says she spends a lot of time travelling to Invercargill, Timaru and even Palmerston North for training due to a lack of facilities at the local club.
Her favourite discipline at present is the bars.
"I love having a challenge, and having a goal to work towards."
Her mum, Kate, says "I used to hold my breath for parts of Rosa’s routines, but as she’s progressed and got more skilled I find myself holding it for the whole routine".
Rosa’s also been named as one of this year’s Shotover Jet Te Iti Kahuraki Athlete Programme recipients, which provides her with some financial support towards training and competition costs.
