At the 2023 World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham starting next week, Louise Brownsey will be competing as an individual gymnast as well as synchro alongside her trampoline partner Millie Harvey for their first major competition together for Team GB. In September, Louise won Silver for her third consecutive year at the British Championships in the individual senior women’s trampoline event, and in July, she became champion in the individual and synchro events at the English Championships. Last year, at the 2022 World Championships, Louise won Team Silver with her fellow British trampolinists Izzy Songhurst and Bryony Page, which marked Louise’s first Team final, and she also competed at the 2022 European Championships in Rimini. Louise trains at Jumpers Rebound Centre, and she was a contestant on Ninja Warrior UK last year. We spoke to Louise about her upcoming World Championships starting next week, winning Team Silver last year with Izzy Songhurst and Bryony Page for her first World Team final and becoming the 2023 English champion in individual and synchro with Millie Harvey.
What are you looking forward to most for competing at the 2023 World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham starting next week?
I’m really looking forward to the whole competition, but especially my synchro with Millie (Harvey)! We’ve been jumping together for the last two years but this is our first major so I’m really excited to see how that goes!
How does it feel to be representing Team GB at a home World Championships and how are you preparing for the competition?
I can’t wait to have a home crowd cheering us on! My personal coach and quite a few family and friends are coming to watch so I think that will be really great to have their support! We have three weeks of training together as a team up in Lilleshall to prepare and get some team bonding in before the comp!
You won Team Silver at the 2022 World Championships alongside your British teammates Izzy Songhurst and Bryony Page, what was the final like to compete in and how was it collecting your medal?
It was my first Team final and there were so many incredible, experienced gymnasts in my group. It was a bit intimidating, to be honest, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was up last, and Bryony and Izzy were so supportive, keeping me calm and giving me loads of encouragement and they really helped me perform my best to help us win that medal! We really supported each other well as a team! Collecting the medal was so much fun! The Chinese coach was Dong Dong, who is my all-time biggest idol ever, and he shook my hand and congratulated me and that will always be a highlight of my life!!!
How did you find the experience competing at the World Championships last year and qualifying for your first senior World semi-final?
The year before I had just missed out on Semis by a couple of places so I was really determined to make it. My first routine was a bit pingy and I knew the score wasn’t good enough so the pressure was on, but I stayed calm and trusted in all my training and was confident I could do better in my second attempt. I was quite early in the day so had to wait for hours to find out if I made it, but as soon as I did, I was sooo excited just to have the opportunity to go out on that floor again and have a chance to perform once more!
How was it winning Silver in the senior women’s trampoline event at this year’s British Championships in September?
This was actually my third Silver at the senior British in a row so it seems to be becoming a pattern! I had hurt my ankle a couple of weeks before so I was a bit nervous but my coach really helped me to stay grounded and just trust in all the hard work I have put in for the last few years, so I was really proud of myself for pushing through and getting onto that podium again!
Can you tell us about your time at the English Championships in July, which saw you become champion in the individual and synchronised events?
English Champs was loads of fun! I always love competing synchro so anytime I get to do that is a good time! The other girls in my group are all so lovely and we always have such a fun time competing together and supporting each other. Becoming double English champion was just the icing on a great day!
What do you enjoy most about competing at the British and English Championships?
I love getting to compete alongside some of my really great friends. We’ve all grown up together really so it’s always nice to have them cheering you on! It’s also really sweet to get to see the little gymnasts who come up and want to say hi and I love the fact that I can inspire them the same way that the older gymnasts inspired me!
What was it like competing at the 2022 European Championships in Rimini?
Europeans was a really tough event for me. Training leading up to it had been so great and I was supposed to be competing a new routine with two triples in it (13.6DD) but unfortunately at the event I crumbled a bit and lost some confidence. I actually ended up falling off in my straight jumping and my socks fell off! Oops! I did finish two routines but they weren’t at all how I had practiced them. Really good learning experience though and it pushed me to focus more on my mental preparation, which has actually really helped me be a stronger athlete in the long run.
Can you tell us about some of the other competitions you’ve been part of over your career so far, and what are some of your favourite highlights?
My highlight would have to be 2018 World Age Group Championships. This was held in St. Petersburg, which was such a cool place to go, and I ended up coming first!! To have the National Anthem played at a World Championships all because of you is just the most incredible experience and it still makes me tear up when I think about it!
Where does your love of trampolining come from and how did you get into it?
Trampolining is pretty much the closest you can get to flying without anything attached to you and it’s the best feeling ever when you’re at the top of your jump and weightless for a second! I love it! I started when I was six years old at my local leisure centre with some other homeschool kids and then got asked to join the club. The first week I was there, there was a synchro competition and one person had pulled out! I learned the routine in one session and then competed and won! I think that kick-started the love for synchro, which is still my favourite!
Do you have a favourite aspect of being a trampoline gymnast for Team GB and how is it competing in synchronised competitions with Millie Harvey?
My favourite thing about GB specifically is the amazing group of gymnasts I get to compete with. I am constantly inspired when training with them and being able to call such incredible athletes my friends is really cool!!! Millie is great, we have so much fun competing and training together and I’m really excited to share the floor with her soon! #pinkteamforever
What is your typical training day at Jumpers Rebound Centre and how much has your training changed over time?
I usually train on the trampoline in the mornings at Jumpers. Most sessions, I just have one on one training with my coaches James and Mark. This helps me be really efficient with my training and make the most out of every session. Sometimes I’m the only one in the gym, which is great because I can play Disney music really loud and have a little boogie and singalong in between my goes! I tutor maths as a part-time job, so my afternoons are usually spent doing that, and then I go to the gym to do some conditioning in the evenings. When I was younger, most of my training was on the trampoline, but now 75% of my training is actually gym work to keep my body super strong so I can hopefully stay injury free!
How do you like to spend your time away from gymnastics?
I do bouldering as my upper body conditioning, which is a really fun way to still be training but it be separate from trampoline. I also love music and play piano and flute quite a bit, which helps me chill out after a long day training! My all-time favourite activity, however, is escape rooms! I try and do them whenever I can with my friends!
What was it like being a contestant on Ninja Warrior UK last year?
Oh that was so much fun! I trained a couple of times at True Function Ninja Warrior Training Ground in Swindon before and ended up racing against the lady that coached me from there! All the women on the show were so strong and empowering and the vibe was so positive! Everyone was cheering all the contestants on and genuinely wanted the best for them. It was amazing! Unfortunately it’s not running this year, but I would love to do it again and try and beat the wall in the future!
Apart from the World Championships, do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?
There’s no more comps after Worlds this year. Not sure exactly what the plans are for next year yet but there are a few exciting things in the works, so follow me on Instagram if you want to see what those might be!!
Follow Louise on: