A GROUP of awesome aerobics athletes from Coffs Harbour have qualified for their National Championships after outstanding results at the recent State Championships in Newcastle.

The Coffs Harbour competitors from B Wild Fitness & Sport Aerobics competed at the FISAF State Championships, which is a qualifying event for the National Championships.

All the Coffs Harbour athletes qualified for the National Championships to be held in Brisbane in September.

Brooklyn Leonard and Paris Warncken finished as state champions in the International Adult Women’s – Pairs, as they now look to qualify to represent Australia at the World Championships to be held in the Czech Republic in November.

Leonard and Warncken will need to place in the top three at nationals to qualify for the FISAF International World Sports Aerobics and Fitness Championships.

Leonard won silver at the World Championships in 2015, and is a veteran of numerous National Championships.

The world-class aerobic athlete described the performance-based nature of her chosen sport.

“We train like athletes but perform like dancers, and it’s kind of a combination between gymnastics, dance and cheerleading,” she said.

“You just want to get everyone involved in your performance and excite the crowd, and engaging with the judges and the crowd is so important.”

Leonard said musical selection was a key factor, amongst other crucial elements.

“You’ve really got to select the right song and the music definitely plays a big part, but overall it comes down to the choreography and execution of the skills and choreography, and fitness plays a massive role in the execution side of things,” she said.

“For Nationals, Paris and I have chosen Wolfmother’s ‘Joker and the Thief’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ by Guns and Roses.

“My favourite music genre to perform to is normally girly pop songs, so doing rock is definitely out of my comfort zone.”

The younger Coffs Harbour athletes also shone at the state championships.

Sienna Porter was crowned state champion winning her Elementary Phase 2 – Mini Individual event, which was the second year in a row she had won the title.

Madeleine Ward placed third in the event, while Kloe Corfe-Rhodes finished fourth and received a wild card entry to the National Championships.

Sienna Porter, Madeleine Ward, and Kloe Corfe-Rhodes finished second in their Elementary Phase 2 – Mini Trio event.

Savannah Graetz received a wild card entry to the National Championships after finishing fourth in her Elementary Phase 1 – Mini Individual event.

Brooklyn Leonard coaches the girls, and said her young protégés turned from nervous kids into confident performers on the stage.

“It’s amazing how they pull it together when they are on stage, as when they are backstage they have doubts and don’t know whether they can do it,” she said.

“But when they hit the stage they change into completely different people, and they are switched on and smash it.”

By Aiden BURGESS