Gibbons impresses at NZ development tour

Brax placed first in 80m hurdles in a Little A’s competition in Timaru

By Kirra Livingstone

GLASSHOUSE Little A’s athlete, Brax Gibbons, has just returned home from a once in a lifetime development tour in New Zealand, at just 13-years-old. The development tour (January 9- 20) is traditionally offered to U15s Little A’s athletes, however Brax was one of three U14s to attend from Queensland.
Brax has been doing Little A’s since he was about six years old in the Tiny Tots program, and said he loves everything about the sport.
“I feel like I’ve been doing Little A’s for my whole life and I’m in my ninth year in the sport,” he said.
“What I love most about Little A’s is just meeting new people, there’s so many people at events and I also always try to get a PB.
“My favourite discipline is high jump and it has actually only become my favourite since this year, I’m 153cm but I can jump 155cm.”
His mum and Glasshouse Little A’s president, Danielle Gibbons, submitted an application to be selected into the development tour for Brax as a surprise, but he initially wasn’t going to attend.
“I was actually surprised when we got the phone call because I did say no to start with because I thought it was a long time to be away,” she said.
“He was only turning 13 before the development tour, and he’d be overseas with a bunch of 15-year-olds, but he told me he could do it and he’s done it.”
During the development tour, athletes participated in a Little A’s competition in Timaru, and then travelled to Christchurch for the main event; the Colgate Games.
Brax placed first in the 80m hurdles, third in the 800m run, and sixth in long jump at the Timaru competition.
Then at the Colgate Games, Brax competed against 30 athletes from New Zealand and Australia, and placed eighth in high jump, and seventh in the 80m hurdle final.
Brax said he had a great time competing against international opponents in New Zealand.
“What I liked most at the development tour was getting to compete with different people and at different events,” he said.
“I didn’t really know anyone at the tour besides one kids I knew from online.
“While we were there we got to meet a few Olympians like Hamish Kerr, who is a high jumper from New Zealand.”
In between competing, Brax got to explore New Zealand and experience some tourist attractions, such as jet boating in Queenstown.
kirra@gcnews.com.au

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