Hi, my name is Naazmi Johnston. I am 18 years old and I have been doing Rhythmic Gymnastics since I was 8 years old. When I was 5 my older sister, Shaneez, moved from Lismore to Sydney to start rhythmic gymnastics. Our family later moved down to be with her and I soon started playing around in the gym. I have been with my coaches Edith and Gina Peluso since I started gym.

I am currently training at Moreton Bay College in Queensland; I also completed my final year of schooling here. I moved from Sydney to Brisbane at the end of 2005, without my family, so I could keep training and finish year 12 successfully. Moreton Bay College has been very supportive and allowed me to continue my training and fit my school work around my competitions. Even though I finished school last year they are still very supportive and always encouraging me.

I'll just give you an idea about what rhythmic gymnastics involves. There are five apparatus; rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. However, only 4 apparatus are performed at competitions with the apparatus changing every 2 years. For example this year and next year I won't be competing ball. My favourite apparatus is always changing but at the moment it is clubs, just because I enjoy performing that routine. I enjoy doing this sport because of the opportunity it has given me to travel overseas and form friendships with people from different countries. So far I have travelled to 15 different countries. The most exciting competition I have been to would have to be the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. It was so exciting to be able to perform for a full house in the Rod Laver Arena and having my family there cheering as well. The crowd was so loud and it really made me want to perform to my best.

The last competition I competed at was the World Championships in Patras, Greece. I came 56^th out of 117 individual gymnasts, improving my ranking by 38 places since the last World Championships in 2005. This was a very successful competition as it ranked me as the strongest Australian even though at the Australian national championships I was ranked 2^nd.