Please help Isabella at the Junior Commonwealth Games

How exciting when you finally receive the official GymsportsNZ letter stating, "You've made the team!" Your heart soars with excitement, and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the hours spent training each and every week for years, giving up time with friends and family, choosing to focus with determination and commitment on your sport and future goals has been worth it! Your goal to represent New Zealand as an elite gymnast has finally arrived... You are one step closer to turning your dreams into reality!

Isabella Marie Brett (15) is a talented young artistic gymnast who spends 27+ hours every week in the gym, training vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor (tumbling and dance) with the goal to compete internationally, representing New Zealand. After successfully competing in a trial competition recently held in Christchurch, she qualified and was selected as part of the 4-member NZ junior international team travelling to compete at the Junior Commonwealth Games Championships in Namibia, Africa October 8-16 of this year. Isabella’s future goals include competing at World Championships in Canada in 2017 and Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018. If she is able to continue on her current path, these goals are 100% attainable.

Here in New Zealand there is no funding for gymnastics at the junior international level, and thus all the costs for travel, competition fees, accommodation and uniforms - as well as the costs for officials’ (coach) travel and expenses - are spread amongst the four gymnasts; when a team is smaller than this the costs increase exponentially. The cost of this international competition coming up in less than two months will be impossible for Isabella and her mother Diana (a single parent) to manage without some extra support. We are both extremely grateful and truly humbled by any contributions that will help make this trip a reality for Isabella.

On top of Isabella’s training, home schooling and Diana’s full time job as a legal editor, Isabella has recently started to do some coaching, and all her earnings will go towards this trip.

We are humbled, blessed and appreciative of any support. Please subscribe to Isabella’s YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/user/NZgymchick to see videos of her competing and learning exciting new skills and you can follow her Instagram page Isabellab_gym. Thank you for your support! #TeamIsabellaBrett