Every month, FirstPoint USA select one of our talented athletes to be showcased as our Athlete of the Month. This month, our staff have nominated 17 year old New Zealander Gymnast, Jordan Rae.
Jordan has an impressive athletic background based mainly in Gymnastics but also in Ballet and Aerobics. Jordan has been doing
Gymnastics for about 13 years, since pre-school. She competed within New Zealand for 10 years in Ballet and competed in Aerobics for 1 year, representing Vortex Aerobics in New Zealand and Australia, placing thied in the Spirit Downunder Competition, Gold Coast, Sub Junior International.
Jordan has won many awards for
Gymnastics to date including :
- Counties Manukau Junior Sports Woman of the Year Finalist 2008, 2010, 2011
- ASB College Sports Woman of the Year Finalist 2011
- ASB College Sports Female Gymnast Award 2009, 2010, 2011
- Gymsports New Zealand Woman’s Artistic Gymnastics Gymnast of the Competition New Zealand Nationals 2008
- Memorial Trophy Level 8 Champion Highest Apparatus Score New Zealand Nationals 2008
- Gymsport New Zealand’s Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Gymnast of the Year 2011
- Counties Manukau Gymnastics Club Gymnast of the Year 2009, 2010, 2011
- Counties Manukau Gymnastics Club Elite Gymnast of the Year 2009, 2010, 2011
- Counties Manukau Gymnastics Club Senior National Girls Champion 2009, 2010, 2011
- New South Wales Senior International State Champion 2011
- Baradene College of the Sacred Heart Gymnastics Award 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Baradene College of the Sacred Heart’s Most Outstanding Performance Award 2010, 2011
Now, she is looking to secure a
Sports Scholarship to the USA to further her sporting potential, and also to earn a University degree. We caught up with Jordan for some insight into what made her choose to go for a
Gymnastics scholarship and what she hopes to accomplish in the USA;
"My sporting background has always been mainly Gymnastics, which I have been doing for 13years. Amongst that time I have also done a bit of ballet and aerobics. Ballet I did for 9years and aerobics was just a couple but I still went overseas and competed with it.
After a competition at the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to go to America for college. A few of the guys from New Zealand had already gone over, so I contacted them and asked them how they did it. One gymnast had gone through FirstPoint USA, which sounded a lot more promising of gaining a scholarship rather than trying to do everything myself.
In my college experience I am looking for a way of learning through different mentors where I can have personal growth and greater opportunities in my life throughout and after my college years.
I want a different experience, that enriches my mind, one that inspires me to develop my strength, one that allows me to adopt an open approach, adding on to all the valuable learnings that I already have acquired in my school now.
Advice I would give anyone thinking of joining the program is ... just go for it!
If you're really serious about attending college in America then FirstPoint USA are the best people to contact. They are great. It would give you the best options for life and if you are unsure of anything, they are always there right there waiting to help."
We would like to congratulate Jordan on being nominated as our
FirstPoint USA Athlete of the Month for August 2012. We are confident that Jordan will have a very bright and successful future and we are looking forward to helping her on her way to the USA!
If you are a young
Gymnast between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, and you think you have what it takes to take your
Gymastics further whilst earning a University degree like Jordan, then register with FirstPoint USA today!
