Fiji’s promising talents in Aerobic Gymnastics have arrived in Melbourne to participate in the prestigious Oceania Gymnastics Union AER Continental Camp, taking place in Bendigo from December 8 to 11. This event gathers the region’s most outstanding athletes competing in Levels 9 and 10 of the Australian Levels Program, alongside Youth, Junior, and Senior International divisions.
Fiji’s contingent features notable athletes, including Robyn Eastgate (Senior AER International), Lauren Pilla (Youth AER International), Ayden Akbar and Kesaia Sivo (Future Youth Internationals for 2027), as well as Siegede Luzuriaga and Jemesa Lau (Future Youth Internationals for 2028). They are supported by coach Josie Maraya Ryland.
The athletes were chosen based on recommendations from Deborah Greenbaum, the Oceania Technical Director and development specialist, whose visits to Fiji in 2024 and 2025 successfully identified a pool of promising young talent poised for international competition.
At the camp, the Fijian team will have the opportunity to train under an elite cadre of world-class coaches. These include Greenbaum herself, a twelve-time Australian champion, French national coach Matteo Guerrini, former Hungarian senior national athlete and multiple gold medalist Balasz Farkas, and Bulgaria’s four-time world champion Antonio Papazov.
The Gymnastics Federation of Fiji expressed its gratitude to the Oceania Gymnastics Union for their support, emphasizing that this camp provides an essential opportunity for young gymnasts to refine their skills, gain international exposure, and prepare for future competitions. The Federation noted that the dedication and hard work demonstrated by these athletes reflect the increasing popularity of Aerobic Gymnastics in Fiji and aims to inspire more young people to passionately pursue the sport.