13 October 2023
While her classmates were heading back to school for Term 4, Ruby Conti was heading to Bulgaria to represent Australia in the 2023 Aerobic Gymnastics Plovdiv Cup.
Held from 6 to 8 October, the event brought together 500 elite aerobic gymnasts from 19 nations to compete, with the Year 11 Girton Grammar student proud to headline the Australian contingent.
“It’s an honour to wear the green and gold, and be selected by the Australian Gymnastics committee to compete at the Plovdiv Cup,” Ruby said.
“As one of the larger international events, it’s always an exhilarating experience to participate. This was my last event as a junior athlete before I head to the senior ranks, so out of all my international events, it was quite a significant one.”
While she missed out on a place in the top 20 after a fall in training required her to pull back the difficulty of her routine, Ruby was pleased to complete a clean routine and gained a lot from the experience of training with the Bulgarian National Team.
The reigning Aerobic Gymnastics Junior International Champion is no stranger to competing overseas, making her international debut in the USA at the age of 10 and having since competed in countries including the Czech Republic, Portugal and Japan.
Ruby also regularly travels to events around Australia, having been on the Gold Coast for the AeroSchools National Championships alongside her fellow Girton aerobic gymnasts only a week prior to travelling to Bulgaria.
Under Ruby’s captainship, the School’s aerobic gymnastics team experienced great success at the National Championships, with every team placing top 6 in their section. This followed an exceptional performance at the State Championships, where Girton’s primary team was crowned overall champion.
According to Ruby, the amazing experiences she has been afforded from witnessing the world’s best athletes compete internationally are well worth the training and sacrifices, and she always returns feeling inspired and ready to work hard.
Her preparation for the Plovdiv Cup involved travelling to Melbourne four times a week for three-hour training sessions with her coach, Angela McMillan, as well as Bendigo-based training sessions at Palmer’s Gym and F45.
“I’ve been working really hard on developing higher level skills, to improve the value of my routine, as the artistic side is generally my stronger point,” she said.
With all the travel to and from Melbourne, Ruby has learnt to become very productive in the car, using the two-and-a-half-hour journey to complete as much schoolwork as she can.
“I use a really clear timetable at home, as time management is key to keeping on top of everything when you don’t have much down time,” she said.
Ruby is grateful for the support she has received from family, friends and the local community in the lead-up to the competition, as well as the Bendigo Sports Star Awards and the Local Sporting Champions Grant.
With the Plovdiv Cup heralding the end of her 2023 season, and her time competing in the Junior International section, Ruby already has her mind on the bright future ahead.
“The weekend I return home, it is straight into training again, to develop my senior routines, ready for National Squad Camp and World Cup selections held in early 2024.”
“My aim next year is to qualify and compete at the Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships, to be held in Italy.”
