If you’ve heard of Melbourne’s iconic Skipping Girl, we are excited to introduce Haileybury’s very own ‘skipping teacher.’
Meet Ella Leyden, Year 5 homeroom teacher, award-winning athlete, international judge, coach and one of Australia’s leading competitive skippers.
While most people know skipping as a playground pastime, with games such as Double Dutch or long rope, for Ella skipping has become a lifelong passion that has taken her around the world and earned her a place among the sport’s best, both as a competitor and as a coach.
“At the time, it was the ‘cool’ thing to do,” Ella recalls of her primary school years when she first started skipping. “I represented my school in the skipping team, and we travelled to different schools performing routines and demonstrations for Jump Rope for Heart. We also competed at the State Championships, although competitive skipping looked very different back then compared to the sport it is today,” says Ella.
By day, Ella inspires students as a teacher at Haileybury’s Brighton campus, teaching Art, Design, Media and Thrive in Middle School, as well as leading Year 5s as a homeroom teacher. Outside of the classroom, Ella swaps books for ropes, as the owner and head coach of Skipz Jump Rope, Victoria’s only competitive skipping club, where she coaches athletes, judges competitions and continues to compete herself.
“Skipz is currently the only competitive skipping club in Victoria, and we typically compete in two to three competitions each year.”
Ella’s involvement in skipping extends even beyond competing and coaching. She is also a member of the Skipping Australia Rules Committee, the advisory body helping shape and uphold the standards of competitive skipping across Australia. Internationally she serves on the International Jump Rope Union’s Judge Portal Working Group, contributing to the development of judging qualifications worldwide.
Although competitive skipping remains relatively unknown to many Australians, the sport was recently recognised as a registered sport in Australia in 2018, which marked a huge milestone for the skipping community.
“I think because our sport is still relatively small, the skipping community is incredibly close. Even though we compete against each other, everyone is so supportive and willing to help one another,” Ella says.
This November, Ella will once again be back on the ropes, representing Australia in the Queen’s Cup Jump Rope Thailand Open. As part of Team Australia, she will compete against athletes from across Asia and beyond.
“I was so excited to be asked to represent Australia at the Queen’s Cup in Thailand,” she says. “This will be my second international competition, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there, representing Australia and competing internationally again.”
For Ella, competitions are some of her favourite times of the year because of the opportunity to reunite with interstate and international friends who all share such a unique passion. “You can be fierce competitors on the floor and then be cheering each other on five minutes later and celebrating all of the achievements,” says Ella.
Reaching the international stage requires dedication and many hours of training. Alongside her teaching commitments, Ella spends countless hours training and refining routines. “Outside of skipping, I also do gymnastics classes, which helps with my strength, flexibility and the more acrobatic elements of freestyle. Skipping is definitely a very physically demanding sport, particularly when competing at an international level,” she says. “It takes a lot of consistent training, but I love the challenge and am always looking to improve.”
That commitment paid off last year when Ella proudly represented Australia at the International Jump Rope Union World Championships in Japan, winning two bronze medals in the International Open Tournament.
“It was an incredible experience and definitely one of the highlights of my skipping career,” she says. “Having nine of my own Skipz athletes there competing internationally at the same time made the experience even more special and memorable. Being able to experience the World Championships as both an athlete and a coach was something I’ll never forget.”
As a coach, Ella is equally as passionate about helping others succeed. “My main priority as a coach is making sure all my athletes are well prepared and placed into the right teams and events. We train several times a week, focusing on a combination of skipping, strength, fitness and flexibility. Between my own training and coaching my athletes, I spend at least 12 hours a week at the club and then more on the admin.”
Adding yet another achievement to her impressive resume, Ella is also recognised as one of the world’s leading skipping judges. Last year she achieved a career milestone when she officiated at the World Championships.
She says, “Judging the World Championships was surreal!”
Ella has managed all her achievements while maintaining a deep commitment to teaching.
“I always wanted to be a teacher. After finishing school, I studied Fine Art at university, specialising in photography and printmaking, and then went straight on to complete my Master of Teaching. I’ve now been teaching for seven years, and I love being able to combine my background in the arts with teaching.”
Whether she is mentoring students in the classroom, coaching the next generation of skippers, representing Australia internationally, or judging at world championships, Ella is truly inspiring to her students and peers, showcasing her passion, dedication and endless pursuit of excellence.
We wish Ella all the best as she prepares to represent Australia at the Queen’s Cup in Thailand and look forward to sharing her achievements with the Haileybury community.
