What Ever Happened To...?

Former Queensland pocket rocket Amber Fulljames has sent AGB a nice nugget of correspondence to update everybody on her transition to performing with Cirque.

I began my journey to Montreal on July 10 for general formation, or what you would normally call "training or preparation" (but you know them French Canadians)! The training involved acting, dancing, singing, drumming and of course, the act I was training - teeter board - and fast track for 'Mystere'. Formation was such an experience, it threw me into situations I had never imagined, like pretending to be a rubix cube, doing a play in warp speed, pretending to be an elastic and making noises to my movement... and much more interesting stuff.

I left my family at home but gained a new one almost immediately, making friends from atleast 15 different countries. Formation was meant to finish in early November, however I was pulled out in late September and flown to Las Vegas to become an artist in Mystere. Lucky for me a spot opened up and they chose me to fill it. Mystere is about the mystery of life, and so it makes complete sense that my characters name is 'Spermatine'... indeed, I am a sperm! I did that for about the first 2 weeks, I thought it was hilarious but fantastic at the same time. I have also learned Chinese poles and taiko drums.

Since being here I have made another family and become especially close with the girls in my dressing room. Everyone is much older then me so I am the 'baby' of the Mystere family. The boys in the dressing room next to us must think we are crazy because not a day goes by when I don't walk out of that room laughing my head off because of something someone did or said, or more commonly (as I have learned) something I did or said.

I perform 2 shows a night and am loving the performance side of things! The teeter board team is mainly Russians, so for newbies it can be hard to integrate... but obviously not for Aussies. I joke around with them a lot and they are a great bunch!

I got to meet Tabitha and Napoleon from "So You Think You Can Dance". I also got free tickets to the Whoopi [Goldberg] show and Alicia Keys made a visit to the Montreal studios. I'm loving every second and I hope to make a visit home soon!

Thanks for the update, Amber! We're so glad to hear you're enjoying yourself on and off the stage - rock on!

********************************************************

Don't forget to keep your votes for the Australian Gymnastics Blog Awards coming in. The 'routine of the year' post is almost done!

Back With a Capital D

Exciting stuff happens when I'm away at work, dammit! I couldn't my laptop working this morning but I went to work assuming nothing magnanimous would go on in the gymworld in my absence anyway! Oh, how wrong I was.

Many many thanks to the anon in the previous entries that brought THIS AWESOME NEWS to my attention (Brindabella, too, who sent me a photo of the paper). Dasha's back in the gym! Sound the trumpets, shower the confetti, release the doves!

Significant quotes from the linked article are...

"She is finally ready to get back into training and is testing the waters to see how her body holds up," Chetkovich said.

"She has not committed herself to any specific goals and would like to see if she still enjoys training at top level."

......

"Daria has been out for 12 months so you can say it would probably take the same amount of time to get back again," she said.

"In the first instance we have to see how her body responds to training and then decide whether she still enjoys being in the gym."

.......

Chetkovich believes the Commonwealth Games in October may be beyond Joura with selection trials scheduled for Perth in July.

"I would think it is too early but you can never say never," she said. "When you have had that amount of time off and get back too quickly you risk overuse injury."

I hope she can do it and do it to a level that fulfills her. She deserves a new lease on her competition life. We love this girl.

Also...

Happy clappy sappy 18th birthday to my favourite Smallfreckly Amber Fulljames!

Team (B)Ambi has a party bus on standby. Rock on, little one! Enjoy the day!

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

They must be handing out free kittens or something at Moreton Bay College.

Amaya King-Koi has now made the move to the centre, and begun training under Chloe Sims' old coaches. This means MBC now boasts four national team members in Bambi, King-Koi, Larissa Miller and Georgia-Rose Brown (the latter two are pictured below).

Speaking of Bambi, it is believed her recent leg injury is actually a sustained hip injury. No confirmation on this yet (but it's pretty crap news either way!)

(B)Ambi To Greener Pastures?

So what's currently going at the Queensland Academy of Sport? Nobody seems to have the foggiest, really, except that it appears the program has just lost its brightest star.


Amber Fulljames has reputedly left QAS and started training at Brisbane's other WAG powerhouse, Moreton Bay College, under Chloe Sims' former coaches, Sasha and Olga Beloousov.

She is said to be doing light training only, which would seem to indicate that the reports of her being injured were in fact correct.


Good luck, Amber, if this is what you feel is best for you!

"A-scuse me, coachlady and greenlady. I gotsa go make a big exit now."

Bambi SHOT DOWN

According to GA, our beloved SmallFreckly™ Amber Fulljames is pulling out of the national championships, as well as the Japan Team Cup after it. She is most likely going to be replaced in the latter by comeback kid Fiona Coley.

(B)Ambi's absence means Larissa Miller will be the only competing senior WAG for Queensland next week.

No reason has (yet) been given for the pullout.

"I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry..."

Out of the all-around stakes on the men's side is fellow Queenslander and half-hobbit Josh Jefferis who is recovering from forearm surgery. Jefferis, like 2007 World Championships teammate Sam Simpson, will be featured in an International Gymnast online interview this week.

Gymnastics Queensland: Beautiful one day, suspiciously sub-par the next.

WE LOVE YOU (B)AMBI, STAY STRONG, WHATEVER YOUR REASON IS! IF I HAD THE CHANCE TO STAND OUTSIDE QAS WITH A BOOMBOX OVER MY HEAD PLAYING PETER GABRIEL, I WOULD.

**************************************************

On a more promising note, here are the WAG national teams (thanks, Shelley):

ACT
1 Katelyn Andrews Women's IDP 6 ACT
2 Aimee Warnock Women's IDP 6 ACT
196 Emma Carroll Women's Level 10 ACT
197 Kaitlin Dawson Women's Level 10 ACT
198 Phillipa Dickens Women's Level 10 ACT
199 Emily Glover Women's Level 10 ACT
200 Melissa Orr Women's Level 10 ACT
201 Brittany Thomas Women's Level 10 ACT
96 Elizabeth Grant Women's Level 7 ACT
97 Kenyah Lawler Women's Level 7 ACT
98 Tahni Lawler Women's Level 7 ACT
99 Annalise Moore Women's Level 7 ACT
100 Annalise Nicholson Women's Level 7 ACT
101 Bianka Rose Women's Level 7 ACT
137 Keira Hopkinson Women's Level 8 ACT
138 Alice Jeffery Women's Level 8 ACT
140 Vanessa Schimizzi Women's Level 8 ACT


NSW
56 Ashleigh Kittl Women's IDP 10 NSW
57 Naomi Lee Women's IDP 10 NSW
58 Laura Martino Women's IDP 10 NSW
59 Emma Jane Nedov Women's IDP 10 NSW
60 Stella Savvidou Women's IDP 10 NSW
61 Monica Sloane Women's IDP 10 NSW
71 Chiara Della Marta Women's IDP 10 NSW
3 Gillian Chan Women's IDP 6 NSW
4 Rebecca Chong Women's IDP 6 NSW
5 Gabby Hussey Women's IDP 6 NSW
6 Elisha Lai Women's IDP 6 NSW
7 Victoria Manning Women's IDP 6 NSW
8 Madeleine Nedov Women's IDP 6 NSW
9 Elouise Princi Women's IDP 6 NSW
10 Maddison Pullinger Women's IDP 6 NSW
11 Kristen Venianakis Women's IDP 6 NSW
38 Emily Bennett Women's IDP 8 NSW
39 Judith Carrol Women's IDP 8 NSW
40 Jazmine Casis Women's IDP 8 NSW
41 Aleksia Curcic Women's IDP 8 NSW
42 Kiana Elliott Women's IDP 8 NSW
43 Alyssah Kay Women's IDP 8 NSW
44 Lauren Khoury Women's IDP 8 NSW
45 Georgia Kokotovic Women's IDP 8 NSW
46 Celeste Loo Women's IDP 8 NSW
70 Hiba Balout Women's Junior NSW
72 Mary-Anne Monckton Women's Junior NSW
202 Gabrielle Carlson Women's Level 10 NSW
203 Charlotte Cormack Women's Level 10 NSW
204 Sarah Iwanoczko Women's Level 10 NSW
205 Joanne Mikl Women's Level 10 NSW
206 Holly Tatum Women's Level 10 NSW
207 Sarah Wise Women's Level 10 NSW
102 Breeanna Carter Women's Level 7 NSW
103 Riley Cross Women's Level 7 NSW
104 Claire Esdaile Women's Level 7 NSW
105 Elycia Paredes Women's Level 7 NSW
106 Jacqueline Rosenzweig Women's Level 7 NSW
107 Sophie Wong Women's Level 7 NSW
141 Sinead Conway Women's Level 8 NSW
142 Laura Doyle Women's Level 8 NSW
143 Tayla Konestabo Women's Level 8 NSW
144 Amy Smit Women's Level 8 NSW
145 Paige Tatum Women's Level 8 NSW
146 Nancy Wang Women's Level 8 NSW
167 Casey Bacon Women's Level 9 NSW
168 Bree Hitches Women's Level 9 NSW
169 Amelia Hofer Women's Level 9 NSW
170 Chloe Lagarde Women's Level 9 NSW
171 Brooke McMahon Women's Level 9 NSW
172 Emma Rubbi Women's Level 9 NSW
173 Dominique Tynan Women's Level 9 NSW
174 Renee Usas Women's Level 9 NSW

NT
47 Yasmin Budack Women's IDP 8 NT
74 Sophie Budack Women's Junior NT
108 Jasmine Castro Women's Level 7 NT
109 Karley McRae Women's Level 7 NT
110 Tessa Sorensen Women's Level 7 NT
111 Bianca Wardell Women's Level 7 NT


QLD
12 Abbie Benstead Women's IDP 6 QLD
13 Emily Conran Women's IDP 6 QLD
14 Tamika Jones Women's IDP 6 QLD
15 Eden Tarvit Women's IDP 6 QLD
48 Brittany Boffo Women's IDP 8 QLD
49 Tianye Boorman Women's IDP 8 QLD
50 Georgia Godwin Women's IDP 8 QLD
75 Georgia-Rose Brown Women's Junior QLD
76 Shar-lee Clark Women's Junior QLD
77 Amaya King Koi Women's Junior QLD
208 Shannen Biondic Women's Level 10 QLD
209 Kristy Bishop Women's Level 10 QLD
210 Tara Brady Women's Level 10 QLD
211 Monique Cowan Women's Level 10 QLD
212 Emma Longmuir Women's Level 10 QLD
213 Chloe Sims Women's Level 10 QLD (Woo!)
214 Stephanie Zietek Women's Level 10 QLD
112 Cassie Armstrong Women's Level 7 QLD
113 Sharney Edwards Women's Level 7 QLD
114 Samantha Hansford Women's Level 7 QLD
115 Sidney McIlwaine Women's Level 7 QLD
116 Sophie Musgrave Women's Level 7 QLD
117 Jessica Wigglesworth Women's Level 7 QLD
147 Nicole Cochrane Women's Level 8 QLD
148 Tegan Fisher Women's Level 8 QLD
149 Zoe Martin Women's Level 8 QLD
150 Taylor Ryan Women's Level 8 QLD
151 Tahlia See Kee Women's Level 8 QLD
152 Alexandra Smith Women's Level 8 QLD
175 Natalie Bennison Women's Level 9 QLD
176 Claire Black Women's Level 9 QLD
177 Penny Brooke Women's Level 9 QLD
178 Rebecca Carter Women's Level 9 QLD
179 Courtney Haley Women's Level 9 QLD
180 Samantha Pearce Women's Level 9 QLD
181 Jade Rowe Women's Level 9 QLD
182 Bianca Ruyssenaers Women's Level 9 QLD
183 Alexandra Trezise Women's Level 9 QLD
87 Amber Fulljames Women's Senior QLD (*sob*)
88 Larrissa Miller Women's Senior QLD


SA
62 Sarah Hopkins Women's IDP 10 SA
16 Nicole Grout Women's IDP 6 SA
17 Mikaela Lange Women's IDP 6 SA
18 Sarah Murray Women's IDP 6 SA
19 Tierney Thouless Women's IDP 6 SA
215 Rachel Gein Women's Level 10 SA
216 Jenaya George Women's Level 10 SA
217 Kate Harrison Women's Level 10 SA
218 Dahlia Makkar Women's Level 10 SA
118 Amanda Agostinelli Women's Level 7 SA
119 Reanna Eglinton Women's Level 7 SA
120 Alicia Jones Women's Level 7 SA
121 Coby Mitchell Women's Level 7 SA
122 Jocelyn Stephens Women's Level 7 SA
123 Ashleigh Street Women's Level 7 SA
153 Kristen Goedecke Women's Level 8 SA
154 Ekaterini Kouzionis Women's Level 8 SA
155 Tayla Lewis Women's Level 8 SA
156 Keely Tyler-Dowd Women's Level 8 SA
157 Emily White Women's Level 8 SA
184 Emma Darcy Women's Level 9 SA
185 Allora Humphrys Women's Level 9 SA
186 Bethany Philp Women's Level 9 SA
89 Natasha Hammann Women's Senior SA
90 Crystal Yeo Women's Senior SA

TAS
124 Jessica Carter Women's Level 7 TAS
187 Olivia Burnett Women's Level 9 TAS


VIC
63 Grace Claringbold Women's IDP 10 VIC
64 Alexandra Eade Women's IDP 10 VIC
65 Laura Hingston Women's IDP 10 VIC
66 Amie Martin Women's IDP 10 VIC
67 Clare ODonnell Women's IDP 10 VIC
68 Simone Williams Women's IDP 10 VIC
83 Amelia McGrath Women's IDP 10 VIC
20 Brianne Allen Women's IDP 6 VIC
21 Celine Chang Women's IDP 6 VIC
22 Emma Curry Women's IDP 6 VIC
23 Emily Dean Women's IDP 6 VIC
24 Emily Haskayne Women's IDP 6 VIC
25 Brigette Snell Women's IDP 6 VIC
26 Grace Spark Women's IDP 6 VIC
27 Sarah Taig Women's IDP 6 VIC
51 Samantha Bognar Women's IDP 8 VIC
52 Grace Flood Women's IDP 8 VIC
53 Madelaine Leydin Women's IDP 8 VIC
54 Isis Lowery Women's IDP 8 VIC
55 Ciara Marasea Women's IDP 8 VIC
78 Alexandra Byers-Armstrong Women's Junior VIC
79 Emma Collister Women's Junior VIC
80 Rachel Collister Women's Junior VIC
81 Tierra Exum Women's Junior VIC
82 Zoe Lorenzin Women's Junior VIC
84 Georgia Wheeler Women's Junior VIC
219 Alicia Brown Women's Level 10 VIC
220 Madeline Green Women's Level 10 VIC
221 Alicia Jeffrey Women's Level 10 VIC
222 Felicity Jenkin Women's Level 10 VIC
223 Hannah Johnston Women's Level 10 VIC
224 Sarah Johnstone Women's Level 10 VIC
225 Meagan Silvers Women's Level 10 VIC
125 Emily Cavell Women's Level 7 VIC
126 Harriet Cousins-Palmer Women's Level 7 VIC
127 Olivia Delbridge Women's Level 7 VIC
128 Kiara Munteanu Women's Level 7 VIC
129 Cyndal Petty Women's Level 7 VIC
130 Nicole Quine Women's Level 7 VIC
158 Kirsty Brooks Women's Level 8 VIC
159 Rhiannon Campbell Women's Level 8 VIC
160 Kathleen Gannon Women's Level 8 VIC
161 Bianca Holt Women's Level 8 VIC
162 Jasmin Marijanovic Women's Level 8 VIC
163 Brittany Morison-Moon Women's Level 8 VIC
188 Annabelle Diamond Women's Level 9 VIC
189 Tayla Dinuccio Women's Level 9 VIC
190 Rachel Figgis Women's Level 9 VIC
191 Laura Hart Women's Level 9 VIC
192 Hayley Kurz Women's Level 9 VIC
193 Jamie Sanders Women's Level 9 VIC
194 Elle-Louise Smith Women's Level 9 VIC
91 Fiona Coley Women's Senior VIC
92 Britt Greeley Women's Senior VIC
93 Shona Morgan Women's Senior VIC
94 Annaleise Varga Women's Senior VIC


WA
69 Nikola Chung Women's IDP 10 WA
28 Megan Aspinall Women's IDP 6 WA
29 Olivia Brown Women's IDP 6 WA
30 Briana Ciupac Women's IDP 6 WA
31 Franceska Fusha Women's IDP 6 WA
32 Molly Mckenzie Women's IDP 6 WA
33 Li-Anne Ng Women's IDP 6 WA
34 Darcy Norman Women's IDP 6 WA
35 Natasha Papadimitriou Women's IDP 6 WA
36 Danielle Tyack Women's IDP 6 WA
37 Sophie Ward Women's IDP 6 WA
85 Ashley Cooney Women's Junior WA
86 Emily Little Women's Junior WA
226 Nicole Smith Women's Level 10 WA
131 Gabrielle Barham Women's Level 7 WA
132 Sally Hackett Women's Level 7 WA
133 Kirstie Horton Women's Level 7 WA
134 Heather Jeffries Women's Level 7 WA
135 Nina Kennedy Women's Level 7 WA
136 Rachel Purdy Women's Level 7 WA
164 Madelaine Jones Women's Level 8 WA
165 Bronte Turpin Women's Level 8 WA
195 Eloise Valli Women's Level 9 WA
95 Lauren Mitchell Women's Senior WA

There is also a media guide to have a squizz at.

Team (B)Ambi Celebrates

GAAAAAH! Blackouts and heatwaves are not helpful for bloggers.


Happy belated 17th birthday to the most adorable and freckly member of the squad, Queensland's Amber Fulljames! I expect big things from her in the new year so I do hope she keeps at it. She showed so much potential in 2008.

The WAGs celebrated at camp, and 'Team (B)ambi' dutifully raises a glass from interstate.

Ironing one's hair: Results may vary.

In sad camp-related news, Tain Molendijk and Jade Martin are reportedly retired.

As far as I can fathom, Olivia Vivian's foot is still injured as she did not compete with the OSU team in their competition against Utah. In the meantime, her most recent diary entry has been posted.

I won't lie. It's hard being so far away from my family. But at the same time, I've gained a new one. I lost one brother, but gained 15 sisters. Not a bad deal on my part, considering my brother was a pain in the you-know-what...

YouTube: Thorpey Reckons It's Fully Sick

1. If this doesn't make you smile after a hard day, then you are a COLD-HEARTED HATER OF KITTENS AND PUPPIES.


2. The Team (B)ambi support vehicle does not condone Miley Cyrus blaring from its loudspeakers. It does, however, partake in spreading similar good word of the Queensland dynamo.

Musical Chairs

The AIS/GA Olympic Squad has been 'reviewed' now that the Games proper are over. Er... seems odd to me, seeing as it's pretty much everyone that was already in the pre-Games squad:

Georgia, Ashleigh, Emma, Amber, Melanie, Dasha, Lauren, Shona

... minus Oliva who will be heading off for NCAA before the year is out, and of course we have the added bonus of 'visiting athlete' Emily Little. The team will be re-reviewed after National Clubs in November.

Various International Level 10 athletes have been selected for a Towards 2010 development camp in late September. These include the very decorated Natalia Joura, intriguing Waverley twin Emma Collister, and potential Commonwealth Games stars Amaya King-Koy, Angela Donald and Jessica Thompson, all of whom I had the fortune to see compete this year.


I personally predict big things from Amber Fulljames. In fact, FROM TODAY I hereby throw my full support behind the pocket rocket from Queensland, who made a name for herself at the National Apparatus Challenge earlier this year, in the face of recent retirements by the likes of Sims, Dykes and Webb. She has lovely toepoint and a lot of power. She is surely the shining future of Queensland gymnastics, who carries the torch for cute frecklies further than Li'l Orphan Annie ever could! Shine on, Amby! Go you good thing!

VOTE 1 (B)AMBI FOR NATIONAL CHAMPION!