If you want to know what it takes to succeed in the Island Games, a good person to ask is Bermuda’s 30-medal phenomenon Kaisey Griffith.In the previous four NatWest Island Games she struck gold 21 times and won a further nine medals to become arguably Bermuda’s most medalled competitor in the biennial championships.At only 20, Ms Griffith may well have added to her medal haul in this year’s Games, which are now underway on the Island. However, completing her university degree course took precedence so she will content herself with “giving back” and assisting Bermuda’s team behind the scenes.The dedication and determination needed to succeed in gymnastics have manifested elsewhere in Ms Griffith’s life. This month she graduated from the University of Birmingham, in England, with a first class bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. She is soon to join Price Waterhouse Coopers as she pursues her ambition to become a qualified accountant.She believes the sport helped her develop other skills including better time management. At the peak of her gymnastics career she was training for three hours every weekday, and four hours on Saturdays. Her weekly training regime stretched over ten years.“I learned how to focus so much. You have to know how to zone in, and that helps when it comes to focusing on studying,” she said.In Bermuda gymnastics has been a somewhat “underground” sport, in Ms Griffith’s eyes. However, it is a sport the Island has excelled in, with Ms Griffith one of the outstanding athletes.She began when she was four years old. Her coach was impressed and encouraged her to continue. Three years later she entered her first competition, and that in turn led to her Island Games debut in 2005 in the Shetland islands.At 12, she was the youngest competitor. She came away with six gymnastics golds and helped the Bermuda team to second place. She trained hard, but even so says winning so many medals came as a surprise.“I don’t go into competition thinking that I have to win. I go in to do the best I can. You have to focus on yourself and do your best,” she said.The following year she was the youngest competitor again this time at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.“I went there just for the experience and to do my best,” she said. It looked like she had missed out on a place in the final until a number of finalists were unable to compete. At the last minute, and without time for a proper warm-up, Ms Griffith was drafted in to the final and finished 23rd.The biggest competition of her career came in 2009 when she reached the World Championships in London. Despite being unwell, she surprised herself finishing halfway up the rankings in 75th position.Two years earlier she had competed in her second Island Games, returning from the Isle of Man with five golds, and helping Bermuda to a team win. In 2009, at the Games in Aland, Finland, the Bermuda team retained the team title and Ms Griffith’s gold medal haul totalled eight.By the time the 2011 Island Games came around she had already embarked on her university studies and so limited her involvement.“I had exams and I was not training that much. I came back to Bermuda for 10 days to train with the team,” she said. Although the Games were held in the Isle of Wight, the gymnastics contest took place in Jersey. Ms Griffith collected her final two Island Games gold medals and helped the Bermuda team to silver.In February this year she completed in her final gymnastics competition, helping the University of Birmingham to its first win for 11 years in the British Universities Championships. She won an individual bronze. It was an emotional moment as it marked what is probably her last competitive gymnastics competition.Although not a competitor at this week’s Island Games, Ms Griffith will support Bermuda’s gymnastics team. She feels it is important to give back to the sport.Asked what advice she would give to young competitors, she said: “Try your best. It is largely a mental event. You have to focus on yourself, but also support your teammates.”She expressed gratitude to the coaches who have helped her over the years, particularly Tina Williams and Duke Nelligan, and her parents well known Island road runner Carol Griffith and Director of Tourism Billy Griffith.Her father said: “I’m very proud of her. She managed to have singular focus from the age of four, balancing her training and studying. It is gratifying to see how she managed that to get where she is today.”