Why choose one dream when you can chase two?

Not because representing New Zealand isn't one of the biggest parts of who she is, but because medicine is what fills most of her days. In her final year of medical school, clinical placements can stretch to 14-hour shifts before she's fitting gymnastics training around whatever time is left. 

It's a balancing act that sounds almost impossible, but for McGregor, it's just life. 

"I was wondering how I was going to tell people this," she laughs, remembering the moment she decided to return to elite gymnastics. "They're going to think I'm crazy."

Five years away from the sport. A full-time medical degree in progress. A career as a junior doctor just around the corner. Most people would have picked one dream. 

Courtney decided she'd chase both. 

Gymnastics has been part of McGregor's life for almost 18 years. It all started in preschool, copying her older sister before her mum enrolled her in classes too. Despite reaching the highest level of the sport, McGregor says success didn't come naturally. 

But McGregor stuck at it, qualifying for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, only for an injury the day before competition to end her campaign before it even started. 

Unperturbed, the self-described "late bloomer", found another level in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where, at just 17 years old, she was the youngest member of the New Zealand Team. 

After Rio, McGregor accepted a full scholarship to Boise State University in the United States for a few years before returning home to study medicine. 

When she started medical school, balancing both dreams didn't seem realistic. So, she stepped away from gymnastics. 

"It lasted a couple of years," she says. 

Then the itch returned. Less than a year ago, McGregor made the decision to come back to elite competition.  

Now, she's preparing for the Commonwealth Games she never got to compete in. 

For McGregor, bravery isn't just landing difficult routines. It's finishing a long day at the hospital before heading straight to training. It's believing she can thrive in two incredibly demanding worlds. 

"Going out and representing your country is an act of bravery in itself because you've put in all this work and now, you're on the world stage with the fern on your chest." 

That courage extends beyond competition.