Hi, my name is Jessica and I have been involved in gymnastics since I was 5 years old, competing in low level gymnastics up until I was 15, judging within the London region since I was 14, and coaching across 5 different gymnastics clubs.

Now, 14 years later, my friends and I have taken the leap and started our own gymnastics club to provide a better service to our community!

Gymnastics is such an amazing sport to improve strength, flexibility, coordination, mental determination and social skills. We opened our doors at Be Distinct Gymnastics Academy in September 2025 not only to gymnasts, but to a number of young adults wanting to build their confidence working within the sport through our young leader programme. Over the last 5 years, we have helped almost 30 young people gain their British Gymnastics coaching qualifications to go on and work in gymnastics clubs across the country.

We started our own club to continue to deliver an excellent and inclusive gymnastics programme to the children of South London.

We are currently renting a space, with a dream to one day open a purpose built gymnastics facility to even better serve our community, but for now, we are so happy with where we are and what we've been able to achieve.

Here's where you come in! In order to continue to deliver an excellent and inclusive service, and help our gymnasts reach their full potential, whatever that may look like, we need more teaching aids.

Gymnastics equipment is a lot more expensive than you probably realise and this fundraiser is designed to enable us get more teaching aids to help our gymnasts get off to the best start in their gymnastics journey!

Whilst we have all our main equipment, teaching aids are essential for the progression towards skills, and allow gymnasts to feel safe and build confidence trying certain skills on their own!

To start off with, I am aiming to raise enough money for a new flat back block and slope for our gymnasts.

To show my dedication to raising money, I will be entering an adults gymnastics competition. Whilst I have such a passion for gymnastics and did gymnastics for a number of years, I have not competed since I was 15, with my last competition resulting in injury and knocking my confidence. I want to show the gymnasts that even after 14 years, you can remain in the sport you love through various means, and with the support of the amazing team of coaches at BDGA feel courageous enough to step back into the sport as a gymnast in order to raise money for the benefit of our gymnasts.

Thank you!

Jessica x