The 2019 World Championships marked a pivotal change in Becky Downie’s extensive gymnastics journey. After years filled with hard work, emotional challenges, and numerous displays of resilience, Downie’s determination led her to win her first individual world medal – a silver on the uneven bars. With less than a year until the Tokyo Games, she was prepared to pursue her ultimate dream of Olympic success.
However, she faced additional hardships. “The last couple of years have been the toughest cycle I’ve ever experienced, for countless reasons,” she reflects.
The training alone was quite demanding. After working hard to be in peak mental and physical condition by 2020, the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics by a year forced Downie to start over. Although all athletes faced this challenge, as a 28-year-old gymnast, managing her body and maintaining health was especially tough.
During this time, global athlete-led movements continued to reveal widespread abuse within the sport, prompting Downie and her sister, Ellie, to become prominent British gymnasts advocating for change. They spoke out about weight shaming, excessive training that led to injuries, and derogatory comments faced during practice. Expecting recognition for their bravery, Downie shares that she and her sister faced significant backlash from individuals in the sport, which only made their situation more difficult.
“It transitioned from being on cloud nine, as world medallists and at the forefront of the program, to everything being stripped away from us,” Downie recalls. “We went from having numerous positive changes to being sidelined, losing all our sponsors, and becoming voiceless.
“It was challenging to transition from an exciting high in our careers to having to begin anew. I truly feel that the past three to four years have been about clawing my way back. It’s difficult because this is something I don’t believe either of us deserved; we made a positive impact while performing great gymnastics. To be made to feel inadequate was incredibly hard to process. Reflecting on everything that’s occurred, it still seems surreal to me.”
Remaining determined, Downie continued to train, and although she couldn’t quite regain her stellar form from 2019, she put herself in the running for the 2021 Olympic team. Tragically, the night before the trials in Cardiff, she received the news in her hotel room that her 24-year-old brother, Josh, had passed away unexpectedly during a cricket match due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
In a bid to keep her Olympic aspirations alive, Downie resumed training just days after her loss. She later conducted her Olympic trial solo but was controversially left off the team and even the reserves. Downie expressed her disappointment over what she perceived as British Gymnastics’ insensitivity following her brother’s death. Most importantly, she had to confront the profound grief of losing a sibling at such a young age. “It’s taken me a considerable time to climb back up, and I believe I’m recovering from one of the lowest points in my life,” she shares.
Becky’s resilience and bravery will be on display as she prepares to compete in her third Olympics at the age of 32.
Her journey is quite remarkable; Downie ranks as one of Britain’s finest gymnasts, with a record of 10 European medals, two world championship medals, and extraordinary longevity in the sport. Despite the uneven bars criteria at her first Commonwealth Games in 2006 being vastly different from today’s standards, she has continually adapted, delivering some of the most creative and demanding routines. Her signature skill, the Downie, has gained remarkable popularity.
Yet, her significant accomplishments have not come easily. Downie participated in the Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Games, but also faced the disappointment of being overlooked for the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Games.
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“What drives me is the dream of winning an Olympic medal,” Downie expresses. “Without that belief, I don’t think I would still be in this sport. There are mixed opinions, but I am aware of my potential; however, it has been a while since I performed at the highest level. In spite of that, I truly feel my routines can take me to where I want to be.”
Through her bold stance against malpractice in gymnastics, Downie’s influence has also contributed to changing the sport. Historically, women’s gymnastics was seen as the realm of teenagers, but this current generation shows that long careers are attainable. Downie, at 32, is paving the way for future female gymnasts in Great Britain.
“People are coming to realize that we can manage our bodies and maintain performance, and actually, with age, we can become stronger, executing bigger and more complex skills rather than trying to accomplish everything as teenagers,” she states. “Witnessing this shift has been rewarding. I feel privileged to be part of it, proving that improvement is indeed possible as one grows older.”
Downie’s courageous actions have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, both Becky and Ellie received MBEs for their significant contributions to exposing abuse within gymnastics. While she continues to pursue her personal ambitions in sports, Downie recognizes that her impact on gymnastics is already monumental.
“No matter how this year unfolds, the legacy we’ve built holds more weight than any Olympic medal,” she asserts. “Although clinching one would be the perfect conclusion to my career, our achievements and impact extend far beyond that.
“I’m extremely thankful that I chose to persevere. The journey has been incredibly challenging, but to be in this position now, looking forward to enjoying the latter part of my career, fills me with excitement.”
