Her father Paul, who still holds the national men’s pole vault record of 5.51m he set in 1992, represented New Zealand at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1990 Commonwealth Games, and won 10 senior national titles.
Her mother Megan was a talented hurdler herself and is one half of the Otago athletics coaching duo with Gibbons’ grandmother Joan Merrilees.
Meanwhile, older brother Cole (18) is also a talented pole vaulter and hurdler, winning gold and silver in the under-20 110m hurdles and pole vault respectively at last year’s national track and field championships.
But Gibbons is writing her own story on the track and has been selected as part of the New Zealand secondary schools athletics team heading to Australia in April.
"I did athletics because I wanted to, not because my parents told me to, but I’ve always loved it since I was little," Gibbons said.
The long jumper and 100m sprinter is part of the 20-athlete team heading to the Australian junior championships.
It will be the Athletics Taieri athlete’s first major meeting without her coaches — her mother and grandmother — and the rest of her family in the stands.
But Gibbons was optimistic about her support network not travelling, saying it could help her see her jumps and sprints through a different lens.
"It’ll be a good opportunity to be in a team without them being there.
"There’ll obviously be a coach with the whole team so there’ll be a different perspective on what they think of my jumping and sprinting so it’ll be good to know what it’s like."
The 16-year-old ran a personal best of 12.32sec in March, and jumped 5.54m in October last year.
Heading to Australia, she would love nothing more than to break 12sec for the 100m and jump about 5.70m against some tough Australian competition, she said.
She will have plenty of preparation for the international event as she has secondary school national and South Island competitions in March and April.
She was searching for that "absolutely amazing" feeling to replicate her youth national championship long jump gold from last year.
The past couple of seasons in the sandpit and on the track made Gibbons realise she could be a top contender in her disciplines.
"When I was young, I always never won any race because I’m so small, so ... winning nationals last year, I realised I can do it.
"It’s made me strive for bigger events."
She has her sights set on the world athletics under-20 championships next year and seeing how far athletics can take her.
And while she is creating her own history, she is always grateful for the knowledge and support she gets from her athletics family.
