Story courtesy of College Sport Media

Ingrid Sims carries herself with grace and confidence that suggests she’s capable and earnest in whatever she pursues.

Balance, dedication, and a touch of style are all necessary prerequisites to be successful in gymnastics and Sims is one of the best young gymnasts in New Zealand.

At the Nationals championships in July, Sims ranked among the Top 15 Women's Artistic gymnasts in the country. She placed second in STEP 10 all around and was second on bar and beam, and fourth on vault and floor in the apparatus finals.

STEP is an acronym for Strive Towards Excellence in Performance, a New Zealand Gymnastics criterion that measures skill level and improvement in line with age and international standards.

STEP strives for mastery in skills like balancing on a single foot, safe landings, consecutive jumping, and forward and back rolls.

"This year's Nationals were very successful for me. It was very rewarding to know that I had done well, and proved to myself that I am capable and deserving of this achievement,” Sims said.

“The biggest thing I have been able to take away from Nationals is focusing on my own goals and successes. What this means to me is only focusing on my own gymnastics journey and all the things I have succeeded in. This helps me to stay positive and motivated for every training session and competition so I can achieve my goals.”   

Sims, Year 13 at Naenae College, is a product of the Rimutaka Gymnastics Club. She started competing in gymnastics when she was six.

“I started competing for no reason at all, apart from recreation,” Sims said.

“I enjoyed it quickly. It gave me confidence, and focus, and helped me make friends. My first medals in a competition were in Levin. It’s kind of taken over my life,” she laughed.

Sim trains between 15 and 20 hours a week self fundraises extensively.

She is very capable academically and wishes to study medicine at university. She flourishes in calculus too.

Her role model is Australian gymnast Georgia Godwin who was the all-round gold medallist at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

Article added: Friday 04 August 2023