Ruth, we were all sad to hear of your retirement in 1998. What have you been doing since leaving the sport?
I have been studying at Adelaide university. I am doing bachelor of law, and enjoying every moment of it, and also catching up on the social life, so I am partying hard (occasionally).

Your career was a very long and successful one, what would you consider to be your greatest personal achievement?
I would have to say that my greatest personal achievement was to represent my country, Australia at an international competition, especially the Olympic Games.

Competing at the Olympic Games must have been a dream come true! Can you tell us a little bit about your experiences at the Games?
I would have to say that the Olympic games was a total blast, the whole atmosphere was just so u n r e a l !!!! Being in the athletes village amongst all the best athletes in the world, and meeting the American dream team (basketball), and most of all competing in front of 100,000 people together with the best gymnasts in the world.... amazingly I was not even nervous, or shaking, I just totally enjoyed being out there and competing!!!!

Ruth, you were a strong competitor on all four apparatus, but especially on beam and bars. What was your personal favorite apparatus and why?
I would have to say that my personnel favorite apparatus was the balance beam, and then the bars: balance beam because, I loved training it, and I always felt confident on it whether I was in training or in competition. As for the uneven bars, I like it because, I liked learning releases, and just training it in general (except when my hands were ripping apart).

What do you miss most and least about being an elite gymnast?
All I can say, is that I will always miss everything about being an elite gymnast, but I have no regrets in retiring!!!!!
 
You trained for so long at the AIS. Do you miss all the coaches and gymnasts there, or are you still in close contact with everyone?
Since, I have started studying in Adelaide, I have not had any contact with everyone at the AIS, although when I go home for the holidays I make sure that I pop in to the gym to see everyone!!!!!!!!!! I do miss my coaches, especially Ju Ping, Shao Yi & Deuri.

What is your involvement in the sport right now? Are you coaching, or are you just happy to watch from the sidelines?
I am just happy to watch from the sidelines even then I don't have much time, I am just soooo busy with studies!!!!!!
 
You must be proud to know that your performances over the years helped to lay the foundations for the new gymnasts in Australia? What do you think of the new breed of Aussie gymnasts?
The new breed of gymnasts, are looking very hot!!!! They are definitely going to give the Russians, Romanians, Chinese, Americans a run for their money.

Who is your favorite ever gymnast and the gymnast that you most admire and why?
My all time favorite gymnast was Yang Bo, she was one gymnast that I always looked up to, and admired since I was 10 yrs old, and even until the day that I retired, she was always my hero !!!!!!!!! I always loved watching her perform on the beam and bars, and felt they were gold medal routines, and I always tried to learn from her whether she made mistakes or performed an awesome routine!!!!!!!

Do you know what you want to do in the future? Do you want to be actively involved in gymnastics, or do you have another career in mind?
I don't think that I will be actively involved in gymnastics, but I am studying to be a lawyer, and hopefully a barrister in the future.

Lastly - do you have any messages that you would like to send to all your fans in Australia?
Many thanks for all your support through out my gymnastics career…