Born on the 6th of November in 1982, Sydney native Danielle Leray began her
sportive career by joining a recreational gymnastics class at the age of five.
Today, she trains with teammates Leigh Marning and Bree Robertson under the
watchful eye of Delia Halmu.
Leray showed great potential as a junior by placing second all-around at the national
championships in 1995, and won the Oceania junior championships the following year.
She continued to show great promise as a senior and was a member of the 1997 world team, and
the 1998 Commonwealth squad that won bronze. She herself qualified for the rope and hoop finals
in the Commonwealth Games, but narrowly missed out on a medal for the latter event. By 1999,
Leray was at the top of her game by becoming the national champion and winning the world
championship trials in August.
Technically strong, Leray not only performs with amplitude but with an air of confidence
and grace. One of her best routines from 1998 is with the hoop, one of her favourite events, in
which she uses music from the movie "Backdraft". Currently ending her third year of senior
competition, Leray is Australia's nominated competitor for the 2000 Olympic Games and looks
set to do her best in front of the home crowd.
Written by M. Tay
Pictures by Rodney Matheson (Gym Prints)
