I first stepped into a gymnastics hall at age three in Erfurt, Germany—not because I showed early talent, but because my mum thought I was a bit too chubby! Luckily, she struck gold. I instantly loved the group and still remember my favourite games: Plumsack (our version of Duck Duck Goose) and Fire, Water, Sand. Those joyful moments still shape how I coach today—learning through play, group activities, and having fun along the way.

I joined the club squad and began competing in local events, always in friendly rivalry with my best friend Julia to see who could collect more gold medals. At nine, I dreamed of the Olympics (spoiler alert: didn’t happen) and was selected to train with the national squad at the gymnastics boarding school in Halle/Saale. Training was intense and progress was fast, but being away from family and friends all week at such a young age was tough. After a year, I returned home to Erfurt and back to familiar faces.

I kept training and performing with our local gymnastics showcase group for two more years, but eventually left gymnastics behind. Still, my love for sport never faded. I did a bit of everything—jogging, windsurfing, ice skating, cross-country and alpine skiing, snowboarding, cycling, tennis—you name it. I’ve always been pretty decent at lots of different sports, and was even voted Most Sporty Girl in my year when I left school. (Fun fact: two sports I never got the hang of were basketball and long jump—no surprise there, since I’m pretty short!)

I became a certified aerobics and step aerobics instructor and started coaching classes at my mum’s club while still in school. Throughout my studies and later my PhD in biology, I kept coaching fitness classes, played tennis tournaments, and ran several marathons.

When I wanted to introduce my daughter Heidi to gymnastics, I couldn’t find an engaging pre-school programme nearby—so we ended up travelling from Oxford to Swindon for classes at Esprit Gymnastics, a brilliant and inspiring club. That’s when I decided to qualify as a pre-school gymnastics coach to offer sessions locally.

Later, I returned to gymnastics myself as an adult—until I heard a snap landing a back somersault. A torn ACL and two other tendon injuries brought that adventure to an end. That’s when I pivoted to CrossFit and strength training, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Additionally, I enjoy a wide range of sports—jogging, snowboarding, skiing, hiking, cycling, and Paddleboarding. Since COVID, I’ve also embraced yoga and Pilates—two calm activities I never expected to enjoy! These days, I weave breathing techniques and body awareness into our gymnastics sessions. Recently I started learning Padel, and I even entered Padel tournaments with my daughter Heidi (though, to be honest, she’s definitely outpaced me now!).

In my quiet time, I love diving into classic books on training theory, physiology, and biomechanics. I draw inspiration from old-school legends like Pavel Tsatsouline, Kelly Starrett, and Christopher Sommer. I also continually learn from the German Kinderturnen approach—an early years gymnastics philosophy focused on holistic development through playful movement, which is not about perfecting skills early, but about building a broad base of motor skills—balance, coordination, strength, and flexibility—through fun, age-appropriate activities.

I want to coach gymnastics to children in a way that’s not just effective, but truly memorable. My coaching is shaped by a lifetime of movement, exploration, and joy—and that’s the spirit I bring to every session. Gymnastics laid the foundation for so many of my sporting adventures, and I hope to inspire our gymnasts to develop a lifelong love of movement and fitness—even if they fall in love with a different sport later on.