Curro Nelspruit's Grade 7 learner prepares for international competition
26 November 2025Curro Nelspruit’s Grade 7 learner, Lily Renaud, has recently been selected for the Region 5 Junior Team in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG). Lily will compete in Windhoek, Namibia, from 7 to 14 December 2025, representing South Africa, Gymnastics South Africa, and the national WAG programme against gymnasts from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.
A journey that began at Curro Castle
The school elaborated: ‘Lily Renaud is 13 and in Grade 7 at Curro Nelspruit and has attended Curro Nelspruit since 2014 from when she was just two years old, it was at Curro Castle that she started her gymnastics journey at 3 years old.’
She began with Kiddie Gym as an extra-mural activity before moving to Nelspruit Gymnastics Academy, where she now trains under head coaches Maré Putter and Jaco Putter.
Strong national results in Artistic Gymnastics
Lily competed in Artistic Gymnastics Level 7 this year and achieved an overall third place in South Africa. She also excelled on her favourite apparatus, the uneven bar, where she won gold at Nationals. Club results posted by Nelspruit Gymnastics Academy reflect this strength, noting first place on bars, third place on beam, and third overall in her Level 7 age category.
Preparing for Region 5 in Namibia
Lily’s selection for the Region 5 Junior Team represents an important step in her development as a high-performance gymnast. Region 5 events bring together top athletes from Southern African countries, offering valuable international experience and a pathway to further national representation.
Curro Nelspruit shared their excitement for her next chapter: ‘It is with much pride and excitement that Lily has been selected for the junior team (Level 7) for the Region 5 competition… We are so proud of Lily and admire her dedication and passion for Artistic Gymnastics.’
