Brand, at just 14 years of age, blitzed the competition in her individual events.

She was awarded first position for her floor routine, and was third in the overall team event representing the Victorian squad.

As a result of those placings, Brand was awarded overall champion.

The rising star of the sport was modest following her success.

“It is a pretty cool feeling to be the national champion,” Brand said.

“I have worked very hard and come a long way, so it is a great feeling.”

Brand and her family travel to and from Ballarat in order to chase her gymnastics dream.

Currently Brand trains four times a week, totalling 16 hours, with the Ballarat Aquatics and Lifestyle Centre’s gymnastics squad.

She works closely with Jenny Turnham and coach Janet Howe.

Turnham said it was a phenomenal effort. She said Brand was one of the hardest working gymnasts at the centre.

Brand’s improvement over the past 12 months has been rapid. Turnham said the sky was the limit for the talented 14-year-old.

Howe said the will to win was the reason the rising star made the three-hour round trip to train 16 hours a week. 

The pair has worked closely over the past two years and last Friday’s Border Challenge triumph was evidence of the bright future that lies ahead.

The next step for Brand will be representing the state at the Australian championships in 2017.

Experts that have worked with Brand have said she has the potential to make a future Olympic team.

“My next goal is to be a national level 10,” Brand said.

“I don’t really know where I want to take my gymnastics, but it would be cool to go to a college gymnastics program in America.”

Brand competes in the uneven bars, the vault, floor and the beam.

Her favourite apparatus is the the vault.

“I like vault because it is easy,” Brand said.

“You just get it over and done with really quickly.”

Brand said she had loved gymnastics from a young age and was inspired by fellow Stawell gymnast Bella Scott.

Young gymnasts now look up to Brand.

Brand walked through the doors of her old training club in Stawell on Wednesday and junior gymnasts ran to her with open arms.

Brand currently attends Stawell Secondary College and says her favourite subject is mathematics.