Baylee Caruso voted Moreton Bay’s most influential under 25
Readers’ pick for Moreton Bay’s most influential person under 25 has been revealed. Read how an ‘inspirational’ aerobics competitor balances school, volunteering, work and a future career as a paramedic.
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A Moreton Bay teenager has become a source of inspiration for her family, friends and competitors in a widely unrecognised sport, as she balances international success with coaching, part-time work, volunteering and studies.
Courier Mail readers chose 17-year-old national aerobics champion and Murrumba State Secondary College student Baylee Caruso as Moreton Bay’s most influential person 25 or under.
Caruso has three national titles under belt and finished in the top 10 in two aerobics categories at the Sport Aerobics World Championships in the Czech Republic last year.
She is a two-year club captain at Brisbane based Sport Aerobics Club Industrie 1 and in 2022, competing in both the adult duo and youth singles event, Baylee placed first in both routines at state and second for both at nationals.
Her success also resulted in her nomination as the captain of the Australian team at age 16 and is in a race against recovering from two torn ankle ligaments, to qualify and compete at the 2023 World Championships in Belgium in October.
Aside from this astounding success in sports aerobics, Caruso is balancing a full ATAR load with ‘high results’ in school, aerobics coaching, a part-time job and some volunteering.
Caruso said she was shocked to hear she had been named Moreton Bay’s most influential person 25 or under, adding it’s a big deal for her coaches and in acknowledging a lesser known sport.
“It was amazing, they’re all very inspirational people in that list,” Caruso said.
Caruso’s mother Emma said she and her husband are extremely proud of their daughter, simply saying she is ridiculous and has always kept them on their toes.
“She sets herself crazy goals and works so hard to achieve them,” Mrs Caruso said.
“When she got into the aerobics team for Australia the first year doing it, she made the trio team and has three-four national titles under her belt.
“For someone who hasn't done it for very long the success has been very good.
“When she got a job and then started coaching the little ones, they now look up to her and that’s always been a big personal trait in my mind.
“She’s an extremely driven and determined person.
“She’s an inspiration to her family.”
Caruso trains for 15 hours a week at her aerobics club and at home, with her mother spending 40-50 hours blinging by hand, her state and national costumes.
Sports aerobics isn’t a widely recognised sport in Australia and as a result, Mrs Caruso fundraises before each major competition to cover all the uniform and travel costs, along with having to set aside money in the family’s budget weekly.
If Caruso can qualify for the world championships this October, despite her two torn ankle ligaments, she would have to complete her external exams while competing, at the same time students sit them in Australia.
She also overcame shockwave treatments on her foot to compete at last year’s world championships.
“It’ll be tough but my duet partner is still training,” Caruso said.
“I’m doing as much as I can with a moon boat on.
“The sport is extremely demanding,” Caruso said.
“My body is always sore.
“I go to my physio quite a lot.
“Leading up to competitions my body is more tired than ever.”
Caruso films and features in all of the pre-choreographed routine packages for the Federation of International Sport Aerobics and Fitness, which are used by teachers across Australia.
Outside of school, Baylee volunteers with her mum cleaning the Brisbane Botanical Gardens and works part-time at Grilled.
Caruso plans to study a double degree and become a paramedic, with her mother humoured by how Caruso enjoys watching gross sporting injuries but she also has a passion to help others.
Mrs Caruso said she was amazed at the names in Moreton Bay’s 25 under 25 list and said her daughter couldn’t achieve what she has without support from her Murrumba State Secondary College.
Caruso’s ultimate goal is to win a medal at the world championships and she will be completing the Kokoda Challenge later this year.
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