Jannah Ashour Recognised as Gymnastics NSW Levels Development Athlete of the Year
The recent Gymnastics NSW Annual Awards brought another proud moment for Sydney Hills Gymnastics, with Women’s Artistic Gymnast Jannah Ashour honoured with the Levels Development Athlete of the Year Award.
The award follows a remarkable 2025 competition season, highlighted by Jannah’s performance in WAG Level 8 Under at the Australian Gymnastics Championships on the Gold Coast, where she won gold on beam, bronze on vault and finished 2nd All Around against some of the best gymnasts in the country.
For Jannah, the award was both exciting and meaningful.
“It felt really special and exciting,” she said. “I was proud of all the hard work I put in throughout the season, and it meant a lot to be recognised like that. I’m also very grateful to my coaches, teammates and family who supported me the whole way.”
Among her routines last season, one performance stands out most in her memory.
“I’m most proud of my uneven bars routine in NSW State Trial 2 because it was clean and I didn’t make any mistakes. Everything felt like it came together the way I had practised.”
Competing at a national event can bring pressure, but Jannah focuses on trusting her preparation.
“I tried to stay calm and focused. I cleared my mind and trusted my body because I had practised those routines many times back home in Sydney. I reminded myself it was all muscle memory.”
Coaches Marina and Evgueni agree that Jannah’s results at the Australian Championships were a significant milestone in her development as a gymnast.
“To earn two apparatus medals and finish 2nd All Around at a national event requires strong technical ability, consistency and the ability to stay focused under pressure. Jannah showed great composure and determination. It reflects the effort she has put into training over the past few years.” Marina reflected.
One of the qualities that makes Jannah stand out in the gym is her dedication to training.
“She is very focused during training and always tries to improve her technique and consistency,” Marina said. “Even though she doesn’t particularly enjoy competitions, she works extremely hard in the gym and prepares herself very well.”
Jannah has made rapid progress through the competitive levels, moving from Level 4 to Level 7 and then to Level 8 in a relatively short period of time. This progression required a significant increase in routine difficulty, along with improvements in artistry, presentation and technical execution.
In 2026, Jannah is stepping up to Level 10, a big jump for a gymnast who is just 11 years old. The focus will be on safely building the difficulty of her routines, while maintaining strong technique. It will also give her the opportunity to keep developing as an athlete and gain valuable experience at the higher level.
“My goal for 2026 is to compete in Level 10 and perform to the best of my ability in each competition,” Jannah said. “I want to finish the year proud of the effort I put in and keep improving.”
For younger gymnasts hoping to follow a similar path, Jannah offers simple but important advice.
“Have fun when you compete. Most of the time, the winners are smiling – I’ve never seen someone on the podium upset. But it’s also important to stay focused and believe in yourself.”
For Sydney Hills Gymnastics, seeing athletes perform and succeed on the national stage is an exciting reflection of the club’s athlete development program.
“It means a lot for our club to see athletes from SHG competing at this level,” Marina said. “It shows that the hard work from the athletes, coaches and families is paying off, and it helps inspire younger gymnasts to keep improving.”