From Hospital to Team GB: My Journey of Resilience and Hope

Hi! I’m Katrin, and I’ve just been selected to represent Great Britain on the Senior Acrobatic Gymnastics Squad, for the World cup series in Poland and Bulgaria this June. A dream I’ve held onto through years of unimaginable hardship.

In 2020, I was struck down by long COVID. What started as a viral infection turned into years of debilitating fatigue, pain, both physical and mental, and distorted senses. Doctors told me there was no clear cure, I was devastated. I went from being an elite athlete to someone who struggled to get out of bed. I lost seasons of training, school, competitions, and often, hope.

But I never gave up. Slowly, I fought back — sometimes inch by inch. I rebuilt my strength, retrained my body, saw every doctor under the sun to try and treat this. Soon enough, I returned to acrobatics with more determination than ever.

Then, just as I was beginning to thrive again, I was the victim of a violent attack. I spent some time in hospital after my stabbing, my body once again in crisis and once again and seeing multiple doctors. Recovery was excruciating — physically and emotionally. There were moments I thought it was over. But I pushed through every setback, every moment of pain, determined not to let this define me.

This year, against all odds, I was selected to represent Team GB at the senior level — the highest level of competition in my sport. It’s an honor beyond words.

Now, I need your help. Competing at this level requires travel, specialist coaching, physio, new kit, equipment, flights and accommodation — none of which are funded. I’ve overcome illness, violence, and loss. With your support, I can now overcome the final barrier and wear the Union Jack with pride.

Any donation, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to standing on that world stage — not just as a gymnast, but as a survivor.

Thank you for believing in my story.

— Katrin ❤️x