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