Athlete ready to strike out on her own

• Published date: 27 January 2023

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...