Hannah Norris, of Te Anau, won four gold medals in the National Gymnastics Championships held at the ILT Stadium in Invercargill last week. 

The 14-year-old entered four events in the 15-16 age group, including Individual Trampoline, DMT (Double Mini Trampoline), Synchronised Trampolining and Tumbling, and won every one of them against 15 other competitors. She partnered up with Caoimhe Heath of Wanaka for their Synchro Tramp routine.

A member of the Te Anau Trampoline Club, Norris started competing at the age of eight.

She has been training in Invercargill once a week under coach Emily Feit, but since Feit moved to Wanaka at the beginning of this year, Norris has been without a coach.

In Te Anau she frequently goes to the gym, where she has a special training program designed for her.

Feit is happy to see her protege do so well at the National Championships.

Hannah Norris's gold medal DMT (Double Mini Trampoline) at the 2022 National Gymnastics Championships. Photo: Supplied

“It’s great to see, considering her very limited training. Hannah has a lot of natural talent, but she does work hard at her training sessions,” Feit said.

“This is a pinnacle event for the athletes. Being at the top makes it a lot easier to transition into the international bracket, which in turn makes it possible to represent New Zealand,” she said.

Hannah’s mother, Kate Norris, is immensely proud of her daughter.

“She did amazingly well, considering all the challenges, such as access to coaches and gear, isolation and travelling long distance for training. But she stuck to the plan, did the work and got the rewards,” she said.

Norris is involved in running the Te Anau Trampoline Club, which she says is hugely popular.

“There are 45 kids in the club and about the same number on a waiting list. There is a shortage of coaches, and the club is run by volunteers. We are always on a lookout for people who have the skills to coach,” she said.

Other Southlanders who shone at the National Champs were Jacob Anderson and Emily Newell, both of Invercargill. Jacob, who competed in 13-14 age group, won 2 golds (Tumbling and DMT), a silver in Trampoline and a bronze in Synchro, while Emily was second on DMT.

Hannah Norris said she was “a bit surprised” to win four gold medals. She wants to continue training and perhaps one day represent her country.