In January 2023 Ellie Downie announced her retirement from the sport of gymnastics.  At just fifteen she made her senior debut, winning bronze all around at the European championships in France. Ellie became an Olympian in 2016 competing alongside her sister Becky and team mates at the Rio Olympic Games where she finished 11th all round at just sixteen years of age. The following year in 2017 she made history, becoming the first British gymnast ever to win an all around gold medal at a major championships. An injury she picked up that year led to ankle surgery in the summer of 2017 and unfortunately led to a second surgery one year later. Over the next eighteen months she earned her place back in the British team and took a bronze medal on vault at the 2019 World gymnastics championships. Ellie missed out on the Tokyo Olympics and following the tragic death of her brother in 2021, faced challenges inside and outside of the sport.  She is now a qualified personal trainer and is an ambassador for the British heart foundation. And this is her story.