Christchurch gymnast Jun McDonald has been selected to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

McDonald reached Senior International level at the age of 16 and has competed for New Zealand at multiple World Cup events.

In 2025 she made her debut at the World Championships in Jakarta.

She trains at Te Wero Gymnastics Club in Wainoni under coaches Svetlana Sazonova and Jozsi Ferencz.

Both have guided her technical development through her rise to the international ranks.

Ferencz has since returned to Romania to be with his family, though his work with McDonald spanned much of her development.

McDonald started gymnastics at the age of two.

Her mother said she was extremely shy in those early years, often crying and unable to take part without a parent beside her.

The confidence to compete on an international stage was built gradually over more than a decade of training.

Te Wero is a small Christchurch club whose gymnasts have gone on to compete internationally. McDonald’s selection adds to that record.