Regan King is following in her sister's footsteps, and her sister is right there beside her to help.
Regan (18) has just been named Otago gymnast of the year, following older sister Kendall, who won the same award in 2009. Kendall is now her coach.
Regan competes for the Greater Green Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club and has had a top year, winning events in both the North and South Islands and also venturing overseas to compete at the Queensland championships.
She said it was exciting to win the award which was completely unexpected.
''It was a shock, really. I have always wanted to get it but it was not something I expected,'' she said.
''I have worked hard throughout the year. You are training 12 hours a week, four days a week and that can be hard. You combine it with school, do Sunday trainings and all that, and it is a bit of a challenge.''
She competed at level 10 in rhythmic gymnastics, the top grade after senior international, and won in her grade at both the Canterbury and the North Shore championships.
She was the top-placed athlete at the national championships in Napier in her grade from Otago, finishing third in the clubs and fifth overall. She also coached fellow gymnasts.
She said changing rules in rhythmic gymnastics this year, with more of an emphasis on dance, helped her, as she also did modern dance.
Her former coach, Sonia Andrews, had moved to Brisbane a couple of years ago and that had led to sister Kendall (22) taking over.
Regan said being coached by her older sister was difficult at first.
''It has been all right. It was not something that I originally would have asked for and never thought it would happen. I suppose you could say it has been a challenge.''
Kendall said it had taken a while but as both of them were coaches, they knew what they were trying to be achieved.
Regan, who is just finishing her year 13 exams at Kavanagh College, aims to study for an applied science degree at Otago Polytechnic.
She will continue with gymnastics next year - she has been competing since she was 6 - but the end is in sight.
''I'll probably do it maybe one more year. It is just hard managing the time. Your body gets to a point when it is starting to expire. You pick up injuries and they are hard to recover from.''
Along with the gymnast of the year, Carmel Leslie, from the Dunedin Gymnastic Academy, was named coach of the year, and Michelle McKinlay, of the Dunedin Gymnastic Academy Rhythmic, was named volunteer of the year.
