Published on 1st February 2025

Gymnast Georgia Stables recently represented Team GB at the Olympic Hopes competition in Brno, Czechia. Georgia, a long-serving member of Horsham Gymnastics Club, came home with a bronze medal in the Team event. AAH caught up with the Millais pupil during a training session and discussed Georgia’s journey to date and her dreams of competing in the Olympic Games… 

BUDDING TALENT

Georgia first attended Horsham Gymnastics Club (HGC) with her mum, for a parent and toddler class. These fun sessions are open to pre-school children, helping them improve their agility, balance and co-ordination in a fun yet stimulating environment. Georgia’s skills and confidence developed in the club’s pre-school classes, while a trampoline in her garden at home also contributed to her passion for gymnastics.  

For school-aged children, HGC offers recreational gymnastics for all abilities, with beginner, intermediate and advanced classes held each week . Like many other young gymnasts, Georgia gradually earned badges and certificates in the HGC Awards Scheme, but it is her commitment that has seen her reach an elite level, says HGC’s Director of Coaching, Maxine Fuller.  

‘We have about 1,000 children coming to the gym each week, with a broad programme catering for various ages and ability levels. We identify talent from our recreational gym classes, usually when children are aged five or six, and if they want to, they can join a development group and train for a couple of additional hours each week. By the age of eight or nine, gymnasts follow various programmes that range from a Novice level to County and Regional squads, which involve more time in the gym. The most talented and committed gymnasts follow an elite pathway, set by the National Governing Body, that could potentially see them progress to national or international competitions.’ 

‘To reach a National standard takes talent as well as dedication. Most children on the elite pathway have aspirations of being selected for Team GB, but only a small percentage will achieve it. One of Georgia’s greatest assets is that she’s very hard-working. I have coached many talented gymnasts during 25 years at the club and have rarely seen such dedication. She is intrinsically motivated to work hard. As well as being a very good gymnast, she has great strength of character and we’re very proud of what she has achieved so far.’

NEW CONFIDENCE

Georgia is now in her GCSE year at Millais School in Horsham, yet still manages to train 23 hours a week at HGC, based at the Pavilions in the Park. She trains every day after school and on Mondays is allowed to leave early for a seven-hour gym session. There’s another four-hours on Saturdays, with Georgia earning a well-earned rest on Sundays.  

The hard work has been worthwhile. In 2022, Georgia was selected for the Women’s Artistic Aspire Squad, comprised of the most promising 12 – 13-year-olds in the country. She followed this with selection for the Unni & Harald’s Trophy in Oslo, where she represented England for the first time and won individual silver in the all-round competition.  

Georgia said: ‘It takes a lot of dedication not only from me, but also the coaches and my parents. We have to juggle things around so that I can still find time for school work and family time. Millais is very supportive too, not only allowing me time off on Monday afternoons, but helping me catch up with missed lessons.

'When I was selected for the Aspire squad, it gave me confidence and made me believe I was good enough to represent my country. There have been ups and downs, but I’ve made progress in the past year, leading to my selection for the Team GB Junior Squad. Unfortunately, I was not selected for the Junior European Championships 2024, as I didn’t perform particularly well at the British Championships.

'However, those not picked for the Europeans were given priority for the three- day Olympic Hopes competition in Czechia last November, competing against gymnasts from other nations including Canada, Hungary, Norway, South Africa, Poland and Czechia. British Gymnastics are good at giving everyone in the squad with a chance to compete at an international level, to give us all experience of a highly pressurised environment before we move up to Senior level.’ 

‘It was an amazing experience. Just to wear the Team GB leotard and be part of a great team was fantastic. There are things I can improve on, in terms of my own performance, but the experience was invaluable. I finished 13th in a field of over 40 gymnasts and we won bronze in the Team competition. It felt amazing to come home with a medal and now I’ve tasted success at international competition, I want to do more!’ 

PEAK PRACTICE

Competing in women’s artistic gymnastics involves four disciplines: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and a floor exercise. These disciplines test artistry and grace as well as agility, flexibility and power. Top gymnasts must score highly in each event, so Georgia is focusing on consistency. She developed a new floor routine – to a piece of instrumental music called Dance For Me Wallis – for the Czechia competition, and has come on leaps and bounds on the uneven bars.  

Georgia said: ‘I was struggling on bars, but something clicked last summer and I improved a lot. I love that piece of apparatus, as it’s the most wonderful feeling when you swing from one bar to the other. For a moment, it feels like you’re flying. Then then of course there’s relief when you catch the other bar!’

Georgia will need to continue her upward trajectory if she is to one day be selected for the Team GB Senior squad. As she turns 16 this year, Georgia is no longer eligible for Junior squad selection. Coach Maxine said: ‘The step up to the Senior squad is the biggest for anyone, as you’re competing against far more experienced gymnasts. To make the Team GB Junior squad is a fantastic achievement, as spaces are limited, with perhaps a dozen girls selected from a two-year age band every year. British gymnastics is now a world-class gymnastics nation, so to reach the National squad, you have to be world-class for your age.’ 

‘However, reaching the Senior level is even more difficult, as it’s an open-ended age group, so some gymnasts are in their late 20s and very experienced. For 15-year-olds, it’s a big leap and they often need to go into a development squad until they can develop their strength and reach their peak.’ 

OLYMPICS DREAM

As part of her development, Georgia attends training camps at the National Sports Centre in Lilleshall, one of the best training facilities in the world. As well as benefiting from the expertise of coaches on each individual piece of apparatus, Georgia is supported by nutritionists, physiotherapists and choreographers. The support network even extends to pastoral care, as gymnasts reside at the centre for the duration of the camp. This level of attention is not always possible at Horsham due to the sheer number of children attending classes. However, Georgia loves training at the club and is grateful for the ongoing support of Maxine, Lisa Jestico (Head Coach of the Women’s Artists Programme) and other coaches at HGC.

She said: ‘I’ve been a member of the club for as long as I can remember and have always loved it. The coaches are wonderful and the atmosphere is incredible, as all the facilities are very modern. It has always been a warm and safe place to spend time. When I was little, I remember looking up to the older girls and watching in awe at some of the things they could do. Now, the little ones look at me that same way. It’s a nice feeling to know that I might inspire them in the same way that other girls once inspired me.’

‘I do have gymnasts that I look up to, particularly twins Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, who were both part of the GB team that won bronze at the 2020 Olympics. I would love to emulate them and compete at major competitions, such as the Commonwealth Games and World Championships. But the ultimate dream would be selection for the LA Olympics in 1928, when I’ll be 19-years-old.’  

WORDS: Ben Morris

PHOTOS: Alan Wright/Martin Stables

Further information:

To find out more about the range of classes offered at Horsham Gymnastics Club, visit www.hgc.org.uk