Student

English

Premier Gymnastics Academy: Brisbane, QLD, AUS

Gina Peluso [club, national]

In 2019 she dislocated her knee and required surgery. (gofundme.com, 16 Jun 2019; Facebook page, 05 Jun 2019)

She got involved in rhythmic gymnastics at age five.

"It was just for fun, an hour a week, but over the next few years my hobby became my passion and my life. I loved the challenges, learning new skills and practising really hard to perfect them."

To compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (gofundme.com, 16 Jun 2019)

She trains for up to 30 hours a week.

"I think rhythmic gymnastics is the most beautiful sport in the world. But it's also one of the least known and unappreciated. Behind the glitter and smiles we work for hours and we work really hard. We have to be strong and very flexible with grace and coordination and able to master acrobatics and skills with the ball, hoop, clubs, rope and ribbon. And on top of that we have to be tough mentally to perform under pressure in competitions where we get one chance to prove ourselves and all our hours of practice in a 90-second routine." (gofundme.com, 16 Jun 2019)