You retired from gymnastics in 1996 after attending your first Olympic Games; can you tell us what it was like to walk away from the sport that had been such a large part of your life for so many years?
After Olympics it was quite easy to stop training as I was really tired and just needed a break. I hadn’t had a proper holiday where I didn’t have to think about gym for twelve years or so! Once I got home though and everything settled down it was a bit of a sad time thinking I would never be doing the sport I loved ever again. It is great to get back parts of your life that you never had e.g. a social life but you also miss the people and the sport as its been your only way of life for so long.

Recent rumors tell us that you have accepted a scholarship to attend and compete for a university in the United States. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
I finally decided I wanted to go to uni and at the same time was really missing the challenge of gym. Peggy Liddick had spoken to me a few times about college scholarships but straight after Olympics I didn’t want to hear anything about it. After some time off, I realized what a fantastic opportunity it would be and so I will be competing for California State University starting January and in return they will pay for all my tuition, accommodation,etc.

The Victorian Institute is now one of the premier training facilities in Australia. Particularly in the early stages of your career, it could be said that the Australian Institute was the premier training facility for aspiring elite gymnasts in this country. You did not attend the national facility but stayed with the VIS and your coach Fiona Bird throughout your career. Can you explain what motivated that decision and how it had a positive effect on your career?
I loved my home, family life, school, coaches and teammates and therefore saw no need whatsoever to move to the AIS. I thought back then and still do that Fiona Bird is the best coach Australia has had. She is capable of coaching on all apparatus and her overall program for her gymnasts is so much more than just the gym side of it, that I thought I could get no better coaching than the VIS.

It is no secret that your career was heavily affected by injury. You missed the chance to compete in the floor final at the 1994 World Championships, the 1992 Olympic Games and numerous other events due to injury. It must have been extremely frustrating for you. How did you manage time after time to re-motivate yourself again and again in order to establish yourself as one of Australia’s greatest ever gymnasts?
Missing the 1992 Olympics was disappointing but I was so young then that it was going to be a bonus if I had made it, I was really working for 96. As for Commonwealths, I was so happy to have made it after getting back after my ankle injury. The most disappointing was World’s in 1994. I felt so good leading up to that competition, and after qualifying, it seemed so unfair to take that away from me. I was able to get back after those injuries cause I absolutely love a good challenge and wanted to go to Atlanta but it was definitely hard at times.

It was really fantastic for all of your fans to see you finally get the opportunity to compete, uninjured at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. You were extremely well received by the US crowd. I imagine that hearing the crowd roar after your floor exercise in the team competition must have made all the years of training and struggling with injury seem worth it. Can you tell us what the Olympic experience was like for you, especially given that you had tragically missed out in 1992?
Atlanta was fantastic, and definitely made all the years of training worth it. I was abit annoyed at my performances, especially top 36 as I wanted to finish on a real high but I was so unbelievably nervous that it effected me a fair bit. Just thinking that all those routines I had done in training came down to this one competition, although I’d had a lot of experience it was hard for that to not effect me.

The name Joanna Hughes is synonymous with Australian gymnastics. What do you see as your greatest contribution to the sport in this country?
I think with our team performance in Indianapolis in 1991 we really set up Australia as a top team in gym and I think my individual performances over the years helped to reinforce that. I also hope I showed other athletes out their that it’s not the end of the world if you miss out on that big competition, or get a major injury, that if you give it another shot you’ll get what you want.

There were many highlights in your career. What do you rate as your greatest personal achievement?
19th AA in Indianapolis, qualifying for floor finals in 94 and just making it to Atlanta.

Rebekah Armbruster recently told us that if she could change one thing about her career she would have loved to have stood her double front on floor up at the 1997 World Championships. Is there anything in your career, whether it be a routine or something quite different, that if you could, you would go back and change today?
I would re do the top 36 comp in Atlanta, watch my landing on floor at Worlds 94 and I lost around .3-.4 on a full turn on beam in top 36 in Indianapolis which dropped me a few places, so I would do that again also!

Obviously you are still training, given your scholarship in the US, but have you been involved in the sport through any other avenues since retirement?
I coached at schools for a while but really hated it. I like doing gym not coaching others! Other than that I pretty much had a break from it for awhile. I would love Peggy to take me to World’s or Olympics as the girls personal chaperone or helper, but I don’t think it’s going to happen!!!

Throughout your career your floor routines were always extremely well received by crowds the world over, but you were great on all the events. What was your favourite piece to perform on and why?
Floor was always my favourite as I found it so easy. I hardly got nervous on it and I knew it could be quite consistent compared to the others.

Little girls all over this country dream of one day being like Joanna Hughes. Who were the people, gymnasts or other, that most inspired you throughout your career?
I really didn’t have anyone I looked up to! I did really like the Russians though, the way they could compete anywhere, anytime, so well and so consistently.

There is a lot of excitement about the current elite level athletes in Australia now. What do you think of the current gymnasts in the country as a whole and how do you think that they will fair come Sydney 2000?
I think the girls are looking really good at the moment. I have to be biased and say that the VIS program is so strong at the moment, its great to see. I think if everything goes to plan, we should see the occasional medal won come Sydney.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you think that you will always be in some way involved in gymnastics, or do you see it as a successful part of your past from which you are ready to build and move on from?
I would love to stay involved in gym always in some form or another (not judging or coaching though!!). I would like to get my degree at uni and have a career in some sort of law/criminal justice job. Eventually a family?!?!?!? I would also like to travel a lot more.

You were an absolute champion of the sport of gymnastics not only in Australia but throughout the world and you had many fans worldwide. Is there anything that you would like to say to all of your fans?
Thanks for your support over the years. You don’t know how much it means to know that all these people you don’t even know are cheering for you. The support I had in Brisbane at World’s 94, was one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced! Thanks everyone!!