Jump Rope for Heart students headed to Skipping World Championships

Australia Broadcast Center

08-05-2025

James walks into the gym of his school with 60 other students and picks up a skipping rope, ready to practise for the world championships.
The year seven St Luke's Anglican School student and two classmates, Dominic and Freya, will represent Australia at the Japan competition in July.
The St Luke Leapers have grown into one of the largest competitive skipping clubs in Queensland in just six years.
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ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello
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James has come a long way in the three years since he moved from South Africa to Bundaberg, 400 kilometres north of Brisbane.
"When I arrived here everyone was skipping and I was like, 'Oh, wow, I've never seen this before,'" James said.
"At first I couldn't even skip once and I kept on tripping up, but then I kept practising for a long time."
The school's skipping program first started as a lunchtime Jump Rope for Heart session in 2019 but quickly grew to one of the largest competitive clubs in Queensland.
Coach Hayley Russo said she did not realise competitive skipping was an option until it was suggested by club mentor Luke Boon, who has won multiple world titles.
Hayley Russo has turned the school's Jump Rope for Heart initiative into a competitive skipping club.
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ABC News: Nikki Sorbello
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"Luke said to me, 'You've got to do something here, your kids have got so much talent,'" Ms Russo said.
"In 2023 we attended our first state and national championships and crowned three Australian champions in our first competition, so it turns out we were actually pretty good."
Mr Boon, founder of Jump Force International, travels to the school yearly to mentor the students.
Luke Boon at the Queensland Skipping State Championships in Bundaberg in May.
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ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello
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"I get to go up there and just have fun with them and teach them new skills, and they're all just so keen to learn," Mr Boon said.
"Every single child in that school is just extremely talented."
Skipping has been such a hit at the small prep to year 12 school of 1,100 students that Ms Russo has successfully lobbied Skipping Queensland to bring the state championships to Bundaberg in May.
It was the first time the event was held in a regional area.
More than jumping rope
The three students will travel with three coaches, and parents who will also be competing in the world championships, as part of the Australian team of 141 athletes.
Dominic will be one of 141 Australian athletes at the Skipping World Championships in Japan.
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ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello
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Dominic said he was looking forward to competing with his team.
"I have high hopes for us because our coach, he's top level, he's an Australian champion and all of his friends and partners are all Australian champions, so they all have our backs if we do something wrong," he said.
Competitive skipping is something that must be seen to be understood, Mr Boon said.
"It's like taking the best of athletics, the best of gymnastics and figure skating and smashing it together into one sport," he said.
"It really has so much to offer."
Skipping a great sport for kids
The Heart Foundation's Jump Rope for Heart program is where many children first pick up a skipping rope.
Heart Foundation senior advisor for physical activity Elizabeth Calleja said in the 42 years since the program began, 90 per cent of schools had participated in the charity event, raising $115 million.
Hayley Russo says skipping is a great way to engage with kids.
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ABC Wide Bay: Nikki Sorbello
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She said activity was important for health, with children and teens needing one hour of activity per day.
"It's helping them with cognition, their learning and development, their strength, their skills, and skipping is a great way to bring all of that together to help the kids to be active and also learn a bit more about their health and bodies," Ms Calleja said.
As a coach, Ms Russo said it was a fun activity that kids could do anywhere.
"It's really an easy activity that you can implement and have some fun with your kids and bring a little bit of physical activity back into your life," she said.
The ABC has spoken to students with the permission of their families. It is the policy of the school not to use children's surnames.
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