Jessica Lim has practiced wushu since 2005, starting from the age of 9, and she has been part of the Australian National Wushu Team since 2008. In 2023 she placed 1st in daoshu and 1st in gunshu at the Australian Kung Fu Wushu Championship, Sydney, becoming Australian national champion. In 2019 she placed 6th in daoshu at the 15th World Wushu Championships in Shanghai, and in 2018 she placed 4th in nandao at the FISU World University Wushu Championship. In 2014 at the 5th World Junior Wushu Championships she placed 2nd in duilian – winning Australia’s first ever silver medal in the sport. Jessica has competed in various wushu competitions including Juniors, Youth, University, and World Championships. In addition to her time as an athlete, she is also involved with the Australian developmental team for wushu in the Youth Olympics where she provides support and guidance to the younger athletes.
Wushu Beginnings
Jessica Lim, 28, hails from Perth, Western Australia, Australia. She discovered wushu through her older brother when they went to check out the wushu school they both currently train at. “He was keen to join and I followed along,” says Jessica. “The both of us loved watching action movies with Jackie Chan and Jet Li growing up. I started training at the age of 9. Wushu appealed to me because of the creative and dynamic nature where each movement is executed with precision, strength and agility. It’s a sport that can be physically and mentally challenging but allows growth and development.”
When she started, says Jessica, “the Australian wushu scene was relatively small compared to countries like China and Asia, where wushu is rooted into their culture. The sport felt niche, and despite limited resources, the Australian wushu team was deeply committed to growing and learning in the sport.”
Early Competition
Jessica started competing in 2008, with her first Australian championships, and she became the Australian female national champion for C group. “From then,” she recalls, “I was selected as an Australian national team member for the 2nd World Junior Wushu Championship (WJWC) in Bali, Indonesia. Developing as a wushu athlete has its challenges but can be rewarding. The early stages as an athlete are learning the fundamentals/basics by learning techniques, strengths and flexibility and overtime the focus shifts to refining details and building consistency.”
In sport competition, Jessica would come to specialize in daoshu and gunshu. She says, “At a young age that style was what my coach allocated me. Previously, I also practice traditional wushu. My wushu school comes from the traditional Chinwoo (Jing Wu) School. So, I also practice all of their traditional routines like Tan Tui and Bagua Dao. Occasionally we also practice sanda for learning self-defense.”
With consistency, hard work and passion for the sport, Jessica started competing nationally and internationally and eventually became the Australian national champion in her category. “Representing my state and country offered me opportunities to compete against some of the top athletes in the world,” she recalls, “and allowed me to not only grow as an athlete but as an individual.”
For the next decade she racked up increasingly impressive results. Nationally, in 2008 she was the Australian National Female Champion, Perth (Western Australia), in 2010 and 2011 she was the Australasian National Female Champion, and in 2016 and 2018 she placed first in her categories in the Oceania Wushu Championship.
International Success
Internationally 2014 would become a standout year when she won a silver medal in duilian at the 5th World Junior Wushu Championships – which she says, “was my first medal and Australia’s first silver medal. Placing 2nd in duilian at the 5th WJWC was definitely an unforgettable experience that exceeded our expectations, especially coming from Australia where wushu isn’t as prominent compared to other countries with long-establishments in the sport/culture. We always viewed world championships as doing our best regardless of what the end result was. The moment we realised we got silver was surreal, especially being Australia’s first ever silver medal in the sport. This not only motivated me, but also allowed others in the Australian team be inspired.”
Jessica’s success as a winning teammate continued the next year on the world stage where she came in 4th in dullian in the 13th World Wushu Championships, 2015. A few years later she would be in university, and in 2018 she placed 4th in nandao for the 2018 FISU World University Championships. She remembers, “I stepped out of my comfort zone and performed a new routine for the first time doing nandao -- normally I compete in daoshu. It was a challenge but the experience was rewarding getting 4th place in an event you only learnt a few months prior to the competition.”
Jessica adds, “As this was the first university championship, the competition was a great experience as it provided an even playing field for athletes to showcase their skills for a smaller and unfunded team that aren’t professional athletes. It’s challenging to go up against professional athletes who have access to funding and advanced training facilities and opportunities to compete on a frequent basis.”
As Good as Gold at the WWC
A year later Jessica would be competing not only with top university athletes, but with the very best athletes from all over the globe at the 15th World Wushu Championships in Shanghai. Amidst daunting competition, she placed 6th in daoshu and was thrilled. “My coach always taught us to do our best in competitions regardless of what the outcome is,” says Jessica, “so placing 6th felt just as rewarding as winning gold to me. Competing against professional athletes while training part time was a challenge but achieving this result and surpassing some of those athletes was rewarding. It can be quite a challenge to juggle work and training part time. It was a moment of pride for both my coach and for Australia.”
Golden National Champion
Back home in Australia, Jessica’s golden star kept rising. In 2023 she placed 1st in daoshu and 1st in gunshu at the Australian Kung Fu Wushu Championship, Sydney. “Becoming National Champion in my category was an incredibly fulfilling experience,” she says. “It was good to compete amongst other athletes from all over Australia. I hope through competing in these championships, I’m able to pass my experience to other fellow athletes as well as peer/gauge those who compete against me to become a better athlete.”
Wushu in Australia
We asked Jessica how she sees wushu developing wushu in Australia since she started training in 2008. “I feel fortunate,” she answers, “to be part of the sport development journey where the sport was relatively small, but has grown over the years. I started representing Australia internationally since 2008 and from 2008 to now, Australia has become a much stronger team despite being an unfunded nonprofessional team. It can be difficult for non-professional to compete up against professional. However, the Australian national team has achieved much. The Australian wushu team has produced gold, silver and bronze medalists in the last 15 years, and the team and I hope that Australia will continue to produce more medalists in the future.”
Jessica states that the biggest obstacle to overcome in her wushu career has been funding for competitions. “The Australian National Team athletes all self-fund their trips, uniforms and equipment,” she explains. “The team operates without direct government funding which presents challenges with accessing resources for preparing for competition. However, the coaches, athletes and officials’ dedication and commitment keeps the sport in Australia thriving despite this hurdle. Each competition can potentially cost about AUD$5-6000 per event. For example, in 2023 WWC in Texas, the Australian team encounter financial issues.”
Wushu Life
We asked Jessica what’s the best part of being a wushu athlete, and national and international competition? She replies, “I feel proud to represent the country at national and international level. It’s very rewarding when you wear your national flag and national colours to represent country. As an athlete, the most rewarding part is the personal growth from the challenges you face during your time and the achievements you’ve made. Its fulfilling seeing how you progress as well as how your other teammates grow. “ She also values the friendships she has made with her teammates and fellow international competitors, noting, “When we compete internationally, we meet up with other athletes and friends and always have good interaction in the training ground and in competitions. Sometimes we train together at training camps or at competition grounds, and keep in touch via social media or messaging platforms.”
Jessica also notes her appreciation of her coach, who she has trained under since she was a child. “I have received all my training directly under my coach since 2005,” she says. “My coach is Dr. Kee Lee Tan who is like my coach, mentor and friend. He is the Australian Wushu Head Coach. He has played an important part in guiding and shaping me in my role as an athlete and in my professional career. He has always pushed me to aim higher in life and helped me stay grounded during success and to be resilient during setbacks.”
Balancing Wushu and Life
All athletes face challenges, but their character and tenacity help them overcome obstacles, especially when balancing life and wushu. “Due to my work,” says Jessica, “it’s difficult to train on a daily basis. However, when I’m back in Perth I’ll train wushu every 2nd day. When I’m on site working, I focus on maintaining my fitness. Currently I work as a Health and Safety Advisor for one of the mining companies in Western Australia, Australia. This involves me having to travel to remote sites/location to work before returning home for a scheduled time off. When I’m on site, I work long shifts during my rostered days on.”
Jessica adds, “Balancing this work lifestyle with wushu can be tough, however it can be done through perseverance and self-discipline. During my rostered workdays, I try to utilize the gym at work and focus on maintaining my fitness. When I’m back home during my rostered days off, I practice my wushu. While this work lifestyle has its challenges, wushu has taught me that discipline and time management which I apply to both my work and personal life. My family has also always been supportive of me in the sport from a young age, and they’ve always encouraged me to follow my passions and goals.”
Australian Wushu Youth -- and Community
Already involved with giving back to her Australian wushu community, Jessica is involved with the Australian developmental team for wushu in the Youth Olympics providing support and guidance to the younger athletes. She says, “The Australian Development Team for Wushu in the Youth Olympics is a program to prepare young Australian athletes for international competitions and the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar. The program focuses on providing them with the skills, resources and experiences to compete from local competitions to international ones.”
Jessica reflects, “Wushu being included in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics is a monumental step for the sport. This milestone will open up incredible opportunities for young athletes around the world for wushu. This will provide a platform for the young athletes to showcase their talent and gain experience on an Olympic scale. I hope to see young Australian wushu athletes competing in Dakar along with other aspiring athletes around the world. I believe events like these will inspire young people to take up the sport and help the sport grow not only in Australia but worldwide. To see fellow Australians competing at the Youth Olympics would not only be a proud moment but a testament to how far wushu in Australia has come and how much further it can go.”
Helping these younger Australian athletes has also helped Jessica pave a path for the future. “When I retire from competition,” she says, “I would like to become a taolu coach the as well as dedicate my time to promoting and developing wushu for Australia. Wushu has given me so much not only as an athlete but as a person. I would like to share my knowledge and experiences I’ve gained to future generations, whether it be through coaching or mentoring future athletes.”
Future Wushu Goals
In the short term, Jessica says, “I hope to be selected to represent Australia in the 2025 WWC in Brazil. This would also depend on the funding that can be raised for the Australian national wushu team.”
Reflecting on how has wushu impacted her life, Jessica says, “Wushu has shaped my life in ways where is has taught me discipline, perseverance and the importance of setting goals. Achievements do not come overnight and the hours spent on perfecting each movement and techniques is the result of consistency and dedication from the sport. Not only do you grow physically but mentally.”
She continues, “Through the sport, I have gained friendships and experiences which have been invaluable. Representing my country on the world stage has been one of my proudest moments of life. As for goals, I want to continue growing as an athlete and as a person where I can compete at a higher level and push myself to achieve new personal best. I hope to provide mentoring to future athletes. I hope that I can inspire younger athletes from countries like mine where wushu isn’t as prominent to believe they can succeed on the global stage.”
