Northey wins National Sport Aerobic Championship

Margo Northey (CAN)

Newspaper 'The Richmond Review' wrote:

>> Northey wins National Sport Aerobic Championship
Every year, Richmond's Margo Northey goes to the Canadian Sport Aerobic Championships knowing she's the one her competitors want to dethrone.
'It's a lot of pressure and I'm not getting any younger,' laughs Northey, who used that as motivation, to recently capture an unprecedented fourth straight women's title in Kingston, Ont. 'It is always great to win but I try not to focus on that,' she says. 'I just want to do the best routine I can. Each year my competition gets younger and better.' Northey spends 15 to 20 hours a week training for one of the most difficult sports in the world, Aerobic Gymnastics/Sport Aerobics is the newest member to the gymnastics family.

Her schedule also includes running her own business (Tsawwassen Massage Therapy Clinic), teaching aerobics for Fitness World, coaching, choreographing and editing music for Sport Aerobics competitors and somehow finding time for three active step-kids.

Those who know her say her energy, passion and commitment to the sport is how she approaches everything in life.

Northey began as a fitness instructor in 1984 and jumped into competitive sport aerobics about 14 years ago. In the early competitions there were few rules and no accredited judges, but it has developed into a respected sport that is working it's way towards the Olympics. 'Most people think what I do is Miss Fitness, but our sport is much different, more regulated and difficult than the Miss Fitness/Body Building events,' she says.

Gold for Mixed Pair in 2004:
Margo Northey
with Dakota Hart

'On the international aerobic gymnastics circuit, most competitors are full-time athletes with gymnastics, dance and fitness backgrounds.'

Aerobic gymnastics is defined as the ability to perform continuous complex and high intensity movement patterns to music which originate from traditional aerobic dance. The routine must demonstrate continuous movement, flexibility, strength and perfectly executed elements of difficulty. This sport has been described as 'the toughest two minutes in sport'.

>> Northey also competes in the Mixed Pairs category, and won gold this year along with Calgary's Dakota Hart.

Northey is considered to be the best in the world for her rebounding creative choreography. On the international stage, she has consistently placed in the top 10 and for the last seven years has worked with coaches Alan Hay and Gabi Szabo to become more flexible, jump higher and become stronger. The pinnacle of her career? 'Winning a silver medal at world championships last year,' she says.
Source: The Richmond Review

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