1.What is your full name and age?

Jasmine Amber Cathie Slade          10years old

2.What school and grade are you in?

Auburn Primary School                      Grade 5

3.Who else is in your family?

I live with my mother (Sandy) and I also have my father (David), my stepmother (Cynthia) and my half brother (Emmanuel) living in Queensland.

4.What is your squad name and coach?

HP Int Sqd 2         Regan Molyneaux and Tim Lees

5.What level are you currently competing?

IDP 6

6.What has been your best/favourite competition so far and why?

My favourite competition so far has been the Victorian Championships 2010 because I came 1^st AA.  I also came 1^st on Floor which was great because I had been working really hard on my floor routines.

7.When and where did you start gymnastics?

I began kindergym at the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Prahran when I was 3½ years old.

8.Why did you start gym?

Mum says I was like a little spring and she was sick of me jumping off the furniture so she took me to gym instead!  She thought I might be good at it.

9.What would be your dream skill to learn?

A Tkatchev on bars.

10.What is your favourite apparatus and why?

Bars is my favourite because it is really fun and there are so many things you can learn!

11.Which gymnast do you look up to and why?

 Lauren Mitchell because she works really hard and she has achieved a lot in her gymnastics career.

13. You have had an amazing year so far with Victorian Championships, National Championships and the IDP camp, what has been your favourite moment?

Getting called up to get my leotard for being a High Achiever at the IDP camp was a pretty cool moment.

14.What is your ultimate goal in gymnastics?

 I would love to compete for Australia at the Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016.

Alicia is a two-time Australian National Levels representative and is vying for her fourth Victorian team selection this weekend at the Victorian selection trials for Australian Championships to be held in Perth in July. Alicia was 3rd All Around at the Australian Championships last year at National Level 10 and represented Australia against New Zealand in September. In 2008 she won the National Level 9 All Around title ! Alicia finished Year 12 in 2009 and is now combining her training  and studying at tertiary level, along with some coaching on the side ! She is a great role model for the junior gymnasts in the gym at MLC !

1. When and where did you first start gymnastics?

 I started gymnastics when I was 4 years old at Banyule YMCA.

 2. Who else is in your family and do they do any sports?

 Mum, Dad and my sister – Steph. Steph does cheerleading.

 3. What is the skill you would most like to learn in the future?

 Jaeger on double bars.

 4. What do you love most about gymnastics?

 I love that there are so many opportunities to learn and develop new skills and I love the many life skills you get out if it.

 5. Are you currently studying at the moment? If so, what?

 Yes, I finished Year 12 last year and am currently doing Nursing at ACU.

 6. What new skills are you currently working on?

 Yurchenko full twist on Vault

Jaeger on Bars

Back handspring, two feet flic dismount on Beam

Flic sault also on Beam

 7. What has been your best competition/results to date?

 Australian National Championships in 2008 where I placed 1^st AA.

 8. Who do you look up to most and why?

 My coaches and my teammates. They always inspire me to try my hardest in everything I do.

 9. What do you want to do after you finish gym?

 I would love to become a nurse.

 10. What skills has gym taught you that you can use in the future?

 So many things! Mainly, it has taught me patience and self confidence which will definitely assist me later on in life.

Alicia is coached by Jackie Caldwell, Bret Nicholas and Lorraine Heeps

Interview conducted by Alex Byers-Armstrong.

Alicia with her team mates and coaches at Victorian Championships 2009.

MLC's winning National Level 10 team !

An interview by Alex Byers-Armstrong..........

Georgia has been selected to represent Australia in the Pacific Rim Championships to be held at Hisense Arena from the 28^th April to 2^nd May. She is currently a Year 10 student at MLC.

 This will be Georgia’s fourth time representing Australia. She has just returned from Paris where she competed in the Paris World Cup. Georgia was the top ranked gymnast at the recent Pac Rim trial which has set her up nicely for the competition later this month.

1.       When and where did you first start gymnastics?

 When I was 7 years old at Brighton Recreational Centre.

2.       Who else is in your family and do they do any sports?

Tracey (Mum) - she runs
Michael (Dad)- Used to be a state runner and swimmer
Brooke (Sister)- Used to be an elite diver, basketball and athletics                                                                                                          

Jack, Jill and Joey (my dogs)

3.       What is the skill you would most like to learn in the future?

Handspring front Pike 1 1/2 on Vault.

4.       What do you love most about gymnastics?

I love the fun I have and the sense of achievement when learning new skills

5.       What are your goals for the rest of the year?

My goals are to make the Commonwealth Games and World Championships Teams.

6.       How did you feel being selected for the Pacific Rim Championships?

 I was really excited but pretty nervous as well!

7.       What has been your best competition to date?

2009 Nationals, where I came 2^nd overall, 3^rd Vault, 6^th Bars and 2^nd Beam.

8.       What gymnast do you look up to and why?

Lauren Mitchell, because she is so dedicated to what she does!

9.       What do you want to do after you finish gym?

I would either like to be a police officer or paramedic.

10.   What skills has gym taught you that you can use in the future?

Many things, but mainly organisational skills!!!!

Interview conducted by Alex Byers-Armstrong - April 2010

Georgia in action at Australia vs. Japan - December 2009

Sports Action Photographics

An Interview by Alex Byers-Armstrong......

Amelia has been selected to represent Australia in the Pacific Rim Championships to be held at Hisense Arena from the 28^th April to 2^nd May. She is currently a Year 10 student at MLC.

This is Amelia’s first international assignment, she was chosen due to her outstanding performances at recent training camps and the Pacific Rim trial where she was the 1^st placed Junior. She has also been chosen to represent Australia in late May at the Pre-Olympic Youth Cup in Germany.

1.       When and where did you first start gymnastics?

I started gym when I was 5 at Balwyn Leisure Centre.

2.       Who else is in your family and do they do any sports?

Mum, Dad, Brother Elijah and Sister Jemima. Jemima does gym and basketball, Elijah does footy, cricket and basketball and my dad plays cricket.

3.       What is the skill you would most like to learn in the future?

A full-in on floor. Although, I would love to have a skill that not many athletes do so people can look and say wow!

4.       What do you love most about gymnastics?

 I love that it is so different to all the other sports and I'm proud to be part of such an individual group that are able to do the crazy stuff that we do.

5.       What are your goals for the rest of the year?

To compete well at Pacific Rim in 2 weeks time, hopefully qualify for nationals and to compete to my best standard and be a good representative for Australia when I go over to Germany.

6.       How did you feel being selected for the Pacific Rim Championships?

I'm so excited. It's such a great honour to be able to go out and wear the Australian tracksuit at a competition, knowing that I am representing my country. I think all the weeks and months of hard routine training paid off when I got to the trial, and I was able to do the best job that I could.

7.       What has been your best competition to date?

Probably either National Championships in Perth 2009 or the Gymnix International in Montreal - 2009

8.       What gymnast do you look up to and why?

Nastia Liukin. She always looks calm and in control and graceful in everything that she does. She performs well under pressure and her results at Olympics 2008 showed how far you can get if you just keep training hard.

9.       What do you want to do after you finish gym?

I think I would like to do something involving sport. I'm not really sure what though at this point!

10.   What skills has gym taught you that you can use in the future?

Gym has taught me so much. It taught me that patience and confidence are the key to doing well both in and out of the gym - good things will come to those who wait, and it's the same with the gym. If you just stick with it, and keep a good attitude,  you can learn anything. It has also taught me to be more mature and disciplined.

Interview conducted by Alex Byers-Armstrong - April 2010

Amelia in action at Gymnix International - March 2009