Young Fijian Aerobic Gymnasts Bring Home Medals from Australia

A team of young Fijian aerobic gymnasts has returned from Australia with an impressive haul of medals and awards after competing at the 2026 National Clubs Carnival on the Gold Coast.

Flight Club Fiji sent 18 athletes aged between seven and 15 to the Aerobic Gymnastics Competition, held from September 16 to 19 at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre.

The team finished the competition with two silver medals, two fifth-place ribbons and two special performance awards, with several athletes competing at a major Australian competition for the first time.

Ayden Akbar won silver in the Youth Individual Male category, while Faith Lagicere secured silver in the Level 4, 6–8 years Individual category.

In the Level 3, 6–11 years Multiples category, Anna Marney and Abigail Lagicere earned fifth-place ribbons.

Arsene de Luzuriaga, competing in the Level 4 Individual 12+ category, received a special award for Strong Performance, while Stella Yee received the Most Energetic Performance award in the Level 3 Individual 9–11 years category.

The results followed months of preparation, with the athletes training since January despite Flight Club Fiji not having a permanent dedicated training facility.

The young team was led by 18-year-old Head Coach and senior international athlete Robyn Santos-Eastgate, who balanced coaching and managing the athletes with her school commitments and her own international training.

Earlier this year, Santos-Eastgate represented Fiji at the 2026 Suzuki World Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

Reflecting on the persistence required to succeed in the sport, she said failure had been an important part of her journey.

“I have more failures than successes. It was really hard, but I had to keep on going. I do one thing, it doesn’t work. Okay, try again. Keep on trying, failure after failure, until it works.”

Fiji was also represented among the competition officials, with Shivanjani Chandra and Shivani Gounder serving on the judging panel. It was Chandra’s National Clubs Carnival judging debut, while Gounder returned for her second year.

Flight Club Fiji acknowledged the significant contribution of parents and families, who helped meet travel expenses and supported fundraising and sponsorship efforts throughout the year.

The club also thanked major sponsor Millbrook Hills Law Partners, together with Modern Kava Ltd Auckland New Zealand and On Point Investment Pte Ltd, for supporting the team’s journey.

Beyond the medals, the competition gave the 18 young athletes valuable international experience and another opportunity for Fiji’s emerging gymnasts to compete on the international stage.