Shropshire Olympic star targeting rare piece of history after gymnastics return
Shropshire Olympic hero Alice Kinsella has outlined her ambition to make history as the first British artistic gymnast to return to elite sport after giving birth.
The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist gave birth to her first child, Parker, last summer but was back in the gym within weeks and is targeting a place at what would be her third Games at Los Angeles 2028.
“I always said I wanted to be a mom while still doing gymnastics,” Kinsella, 24, told the BBC.
“We thought when is the right time if I want to go to LA? We decided after Paris was probably right if I want to get back, hopefully.”
She continued: “I kept up with my strength and conditioning throughout my pregnancy.
“I only stopped a week or two before (giving birth). I think that really helped because when I got back, my strength had dropped a little bit was kind of still there.
“I thought if my body is telling me this is OK, why not?”
Trampoline gymnast Laura Gallagher is the only other Briton to return to gymnastics after childbirth, while only a handful of artistic gymnasts around the world have ever achieved it.
Kinsella’s attempt is being tracked by researchers at the University of Kent and coaches at her Lilleshall training base hope she can be an inspiration to other women athletes.
While reluctant to put too specific a timeframe on her return to competition, the Park Wrekin ace hopes to be involved in October’s world championships.
"I am taking it day by day at the moment, but it is all going in the right direction," said Kinsella. "I am feeling very positive about it.
"If I am back before then (Worlds), that is great, but if not then I won't be too stressed."
British Gymnastics senior conditioning coach, Ben Young, said: "The biggest challenge we have at the moment is actually holding her back a little bit.
"She is making huge gains. Faster than we probably anticipated, but that is probably a tribute to the elite athlete that she is."
