Louise Christie – a 23-year-old kindergym and preschool gymnastics instructor and relief leisure attendant at Get active @ Beacon – is soon off to the 2024 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships!  

As well as working at Get active @ Beacon, she uses this venue for her training. We recently spoke to her to find out more about her journey into rhythmic gymnastics and her progress to date.

“Rhythmic gymnastics is not a big sport, especially in Scotland. There’s only one club in Aberdeen and that’s Beacon Rhythmic Gymnastics Club.

“I took part in kindergym and preschool classes as a kid and so the natural progression was into club gymnastics. My mum signed me up, with my friend’s Mum doing the same and they didn’t actually realise at the time it was rhythmic, but I guess it’s worked out very well for me.

“I could never have imagined what I would go on to achieve when I first started, especially a silver medal with ribbon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games! I was aware of getting to this level and it was something I always aimed to be a part of, but when I was about 15 years old I really started to doubt my chances of getting there.

“There were nowhere near as many opportunities in Scotland and no national team. I was also struggling to qualify for the British Championships.

“In 2019, it took a bit of a turn for the better. I was then selected for the GB squad which boosted my confidence a lot.

“When I got the selection policy for the Commonwealth Games, I thought it was really difficult, so even just to get my selection for Team Scotland was massive – never mind coming away with a silver medal!

“I woke up with a feeling inside of me that I could do something special that day. I knew I could improve on the previous days’ routines and I went out there with nothing to lose. When the scores came up, I knew I had given myself the best chance at a medal – and to get silver was a dream come true!

“The 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was an amazing experience and one I may never get the chance to feel again. The atmosphere in the arena and the moment in itself was just incredible – The Games being hosted in the UK only added to the experience. My family and a lot of my friends came down which was really special because they contributed to so much of my journey.

“Doing a Scottish themed routine as well was very special and it definitely lit a fire in me for the future. I knew at the Games I wasn’t ready to stop whereas previously I had thought that was when it would maybe be time to call it a day. I felt the complete opposite.

“I wanted to go on to the European Championships in 2024 and improve the rankings for GB. It motivated me a lot to be on the world stage and to get the appreciation of the sport as well.

“Teaching gymnastics made a lot of sense for me with having such a passion for the sport. Also having a career in the sport is incredibly stressful, so it’s nice to go back to grass roots.

“To see the enjoyment in the kids who take part and getting involved with sport rather than the pressure that comes with competition is really rewarding.

“I teach some evenings with school age children but I really enjoy the preschool sessions. It’s really surprising how much they’re capable of so it’s nice to be involved in that.

“I’ve cut down my hours on school age because I train in the evenings, but they’re aware about why I’m away so it will be nice to get back to them properly once everything settles down.

“Most recently, I went to the World Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan but it wasn’t my strongest competition. I had a difficult lead up with an injury so it was good to get out there and compete, but the main focus is pushing for the 2024 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships in Budapest and improving on what went wrong in Tashkent.

“The injury and the tournament has lit a bit of a fire in me because that’s not how I want to feel when I finish at the 2024 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships. I was disappointed at the World Cup so it’s made me push that little bit harder to come back stronger later this month.

“I had a pain in my foot already and then landed a leap, rolling my ankle in the process. That happened on the Saturday and I left for Tashkent on the Tuesday. Initially I was panicking about missing the European Championships but I was fortunate as the sprain could have been a lot worse. It’s all about getting over that and having the confidence to do what I was planning to do going forward.

“The European Championships start in Budapest on the 22^nd May and I fly out on the 20^th, so I’ll be there for a week in Budapest.

“It was a long process to get in – in previous years, the team selection was made in April and there’s usually quite a quick turnaround, but this year it started in February. It was quite soon into the start of the season and there were a lot more qualifying events. I’ll be competing in hoop and clubs which are my strongest events.

“Right now, my sole focus is the European Championships and the build-up has been quite challenging. I really want to go out there and show off the work I have put in and show I have pushed past my previous Commonwealth success.

“I feel once you have reached a pinnacle like the Commonwealth Games in your career, people will question whether you can take it one step further. “I really feel I have done that and hope to keep doing so whilst soaking up the moment and enjoying every second.”