Ellie Downie
Ellie Downie started gymnastics at Notts gym Club just 1 hour a week
aged 3 years... ahh.
This year she will be 12 years old and now trains up to 30 hours a
week, with coaches Claire Starky, Ian Kime and Jo Miller.
Like her sister Becky, she is a British Artistic Gymnast competing 4
pieces of apparatus - Bars, Beam, Floor and Vault. Ellie is a
strong All Rounder and loves learning new skills. At present Vault
is a particular strength.
Her first major achievement was winning the Overall British
Championship for Level 4 - aged 9 in 2008, gaining a place on the GB
start squad.
In 2009, at Level 3 Championships, she came 9th in the All Around,
after a fall on floor and another on Beam - but still maintained her
place on the GB squad. She also won Alpha Factor and Regional
Championships for Level 3.
2010 was a particularly good year for Ellie. Starting in March, she
won a silver medal at Elite Grade 2 in Liverpool. In July she flew
to Tirrenia in Italy, with fellow gymnast Catherine Lyons (Tolworth
GC), for an elite training camp which she really enjoyed.
In September 2010, Ellie became the Alpha Factor Level 2 All Around
Champion and later the East Midlands Regional Champion, Level 2 All
Around going on to take the Level 2 British Overall Championship
title in November... WOW!
Finally, at the end of November, Ellie competed at the Ville
d'Arques invitational in Calais - she became the Level 2 All Around
Champion against International competion! Team mate Caitlan Roberts,
came 6th. A fantastic end to the year.
Ellie started 2011 with an elbow injury and was given the all clear
to train at the end of March. She is happy to be training again.
Her long term goals are to keep improving and to compete for GB in
European, World Championships and of course the Olympic games...
GOOD LUCK ELLIE