IAS athlete profile: Jessica Adams

Why did you apply for an IAS scholarship?  I thought it would be great to have the support of the IAS in helping in areas that will improve my performance as an athlete. I would like to learn more about good nutrition, sports psychology and to be more aware of banned supplements in sport.

Who’s your favourite professional athlete? Simone Biles, the American all-around Gymnastics gold medallist. She is a motivated and talented athlete and she shows people that we can achieve our goals with determination and commitment. She has a very big heart and always shows great sportsmanship.

If you weren’t involved in this sport what would you be doing?  I would probably be doing swimming or athletics, I would also like to do Oztag as some of my friends play it. I do enjoy other sports as long as I'm being active.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence? I am energetic, friendly, motivated and love to laugh, make memories and be adventurous.

What are your plans beyond school? I would like to go to university when I finish school. I would love to study  Physiotherapy, Sport Psychology and Nutrition. It would also be nice to coach at my Acrobatics club and continue training to hopefully make it to another World Age Games.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? I would love to live in England and America. Lots of my family live in England and I think I would really enjoy it. It would also make it easy for me to travel to other countries in Europe. America would also be great as there are lots of things to do and see.

What do you do in your free time? I like to relax and watch movies and TV. I also listen to music, read and go shopping. I enjoy cooking and catching up with my friends too.

What is your favourite subject at school?  Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS).  I enjoy both the theory and practical parts of this course as it covers everything from first aid, health and fitness and training techniques.

What is your greatest achievement in your sport so far?  Representing Australia at two World Championships in France in 2014 and China in 2016.  I competed in an 11-16 years trio in Paris and a 12-18 years pair in Putian, China. At both Championships we qualified in 9th place for the finals, which I am very proud of. In 2014 my trio was also awarded the “Junior International Group of the Year” by Gymnastics Australia at the National Championships in Melbourne.

When did you start playing your sport and how did you get started? I started gymnastics at the age of 4 with some friends. I started in a recreational class at Wollongong City Gymnastics and then I was selected to compete in Levels. When I turned 9 I started training at Oak Flats Acrobatics Club where I began training for my first World Championship competition in 2014.