Talented young rhythmic gymnast Louise Christie is leaping with joy after being selected for the Commonwealth Games for Team Scotland.

Louise is part of Beacon Rhythmic Gymnastics club and frequently trains at Get active @ Beacon – we caught up with her last week to find out more about her passion for the sport and how she’s feeling after receiving the exciting news…

Q. How old were you when you first started rhythmic gymnastics and which club are you part of?

I started rhythmic gymnastics when I was five years old at Beacon Rhythmic Gymnastics club in Aberdeen and that is where I have trained ever since.

Q. What inspired you to take up the sport?

I enjoyed kindergym when I was little and always had a lot of energy, so my Mum signed me up for gymnastics not realising it was rhythmic. I loved it and that’s where my journey in the sport started.

Q. What do you love most about rhythmic gymnastics?

The build-up towards big competitions isn’t always easy so I love the satisfaction of achieving a goal or finishing a successful performance in a competition. I have also been really fortunate to travel internationally representing Great Britain which has allowed me to create so many amazing memories with my teammates. 

Q. Who is your idol?

Two of my favourite rhythmic gymnasts are Salome Pazhava from Georgia and the current Olympic champion Linoy Ashram from Israel. Salome Pazhava always had a very unique and artistic style in her performances which I still find captivating to watch now, and Linoy Ashram was a very powerful and fast gymnast to watch. I was lucky enough to meet both gymnasts at the recent European Championships in Tel Aviv where they were coaching after retiring from the sport after the Tokyo Olympics. Outwith rhythmic gymnastics, I have many other sporting idols including Simone Biles, Tom Daley and Andy Murray who have all overcome many obstacles to achieve success in their fields.

Q. You won three medals at the 2022 British Rhythmic Championships, this is a phenomenal achievement. How did you find it?

The 2022 British Championships were amazing. My qualification window for the Commonwealth Games closed before the championships so there was less pressure on this event, and I really enjoyed performing and showing the improvements I had made over the first part of the year. Going into the championships, my big aim was to medal overall so to achieve 2^nd place, as well as 2^nd in the Clubs final and become British Ribbon champion exceeded my expectations and definitely gave me a boost heading into the European Championships.

Q. You recently competed in the 38^th FIG Rhythmic European Championships in Tel Aviv, Israel – how did this feel? What were the highlights?

Competing at the European Championships was a dream come true. The atmosphere at the competition was amazing and I enjoyed every second of performing on such a big stage. I was lucky enough to meet some of my favourite gymnasts including the current Olympic champion Linoy Ashram and feel so inspired by the championships ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Q. You’ve been named as one of seven athletes chosen by Team Scotland to represent them at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this month – absolutely amazing news! Tell us a bit more about what this means to you…

My biggest sporting goal has always been to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. I went to the 2014 games in Glasgow as a supporter which made it clear that was what I wanted to achieve in the sport. There aren’t many major events where you can represent Scotland, so it feels amazing to know I’ll be putting on the team Scotland kit this summer. I think the fact that the games are in Birmingham makes it even more special knowing my close friends and family will be in the audience living the dream with me.

Q. You must have a busy training schedule, what does a typical week of training look like for you?

At the moment, all of my training takes place at RGU Sport. As it is the school holidays, I am training from 5pm to 9pm on weekdays as well as Sundays. Within training, I warm up, do conditioning, flexibility and ballet before preparing for work on routines. When I head to my holding camp in Lilleshall on the 24^th July, I will be back training during the day to get final preparations in before the games begin.

Q. How about your coaches – how important is their support and how have they contributed to your skill development?   

Without my personal coach Amy, I would not be at the level I am today. She supports me 100% and motivates me to push myself and keep working towards my goals. As a team, we work well together and this has contributed to the success we have had over the past year. It makes it even more special that Amy is a coach for the Commonwealth Games, as we get to experience the competition together after working so hard to achieve my selection.

Q. What piece of advice would you give to someone new looking to try out rhythmic gymnastics for the first time?

For anyone wanting to try rhythmic gymnastics, my advice would be to enjoy what you are doing and persevere. It can take time to master new skills in any new sport, but if you love what you do and have goals you want to achieve, then work hard and anything is possible.