For Emily Roper’s major senior international debut for Team GB, she competed last May at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Leipzig alongside Frank Stone, Alia Leat, Ruby Stacey and Ruby Evans, where Emily competed on the uneven bars, balance beam and floor, making the reserve in the final for her floor routine. Also in May, Emily competed alongside her fellow teammate Ruby Stacey at the Varna Challenge Cup on vault, uneven bars and balance beam, and at the 2025 British Championships, she became the British Uneven Bars champion (with Jessica Gadirova in Silver and Ellie Lewis in Bronze), won Bronze in the All-Around and qualified for the vault and balance beam finals. Emily returned to competing after injury at the English and Welsh Championships at the start of last year, where she represents Team Wales, and in February, she qualified for the Uneven Bars final at the Cottbus World Cup in Germany, which marked Emily’s first World Cup for Team GB. As an elite gymnast, Emily trains at Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club alongside her twin sister Abbie, who is also an elite gymnast for Team GB and Wales, and Emily is aiming for World Cups and Home Nations competitions, with her main aim being the 2026 Commonwealth Games and European Championships. Answering our questions, Emily told us about making her major senior international debut at last year’s European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, becoming the Uneven Bars champion at the 2025 British Championships and competing for Team GB and Wales over her career so far.

What was it like making your major senior international debut for Team GB at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in May last year and how was it competing in Leipzig?

Competing in last year’s Europeans was absolutely amazing – it was a dream come true! I’d never been in an arena quite like it before, and the whole atmosphere when we were competing was so good! It was also really fun, as it was my first big team competition, which I really enjoyed!

How did you stay focused during the European Championships and how was it being part of the British team alongside Frank Stone, Alia Leat, Ruby Stacey and Ruby Evans?

During the competition, I just tried to stay focused on my routines, trust the work that I’d done in the gym, and not let the nerves get to me! Being part of this team was amazing as we all bonded so well, which made the whole experience even more special!

You competed on the uneven bars, balance beam and floor, how do you feel your routines went and how was it being a reserve for the Floor final at your first major Championships?

I was really happy with my performance on bars, especially as it was the first piece – it gave me confidence going into the competition! Beam was a bit shaky, and I had some unfortunate falls, but I tried not to think about that after it happened as there was nothing I could do. I was super happy with my floor performance as well, as I’d been struggling with it in the weeks building up to the comp, so was really pleased to have a clean routine! Being reserve for the final was a complete shock, but I was really proud of myself, considering it was my first major Championships!

What was it like finding out you’d been selected for last year’s European Championships and how did you prepare in the lead-up to the competition?

I was really shocked when we got the email, but was just so pleased that all the hard work I put in at the start of the year, after getting back from injury, had paid off! I went to the Varna World Cup a few weeks before Euros, which helped me know what I needed to improve on and was good preparation for Euros! We also had a prep camp, which helped prepare us a lot as we practiced our routines in the format of the competition, so we knew what it was going to be like in the real thing!

Earlier in May, you and Ruby Stacey competed at the Varna Challenge Cup where you qualified for the finals of Vault, Uneven Bars and Balance Beam, can you tell us about competing in Varna?

Competing in Varna was a bit of a different one for me. The previous year, I got quite a bad injury there, so going back there last year, I just really wanted to have a fresh start and actually enjoy the experience of competing in a World Challenge Cup! I was pleased to get into three finals. Even though the finals didn’t all go to plan, I still really enjoyed it and had such a great time out there!

At the 2025 British Championships, you became the British Uneven Bars champion, also winning Bronze in the All-Around and qualifying for the Vault and Balance Beam finals, how did you feel collecting your medals and what were last year’s British Championships like to compete in?

Last year’s British Champs were my most successful Champs, which was a really positive start to the year! Becoming the British Bars champion was such an amazing achievement, which I never thought was even possible, and to top it off with 3rd All-Around was even more special! The atmosphere in the arena was so crazy, and I always love competing there and seeing everyone!

How was it competing at the English and Welsh Championships at the start of the year and how different do you find these to international competitions?

The English and Welsh Championships, for me, were really just about building back to the level I was at pre-injury! At the Welsh, I only competed bars and beam, as it was my first competition back, so I was just getting used to competing again! At the English, I competed All-Around again, which I was super pleased with as I had a really good comp! These comps are slightly different to internationals – you are with your club, in familiar surroundings, and obviously know most of the other gymnasts!

How was your time in Germany at the Cottbus World Cup in February, where you qualified for the Uneven Bars final?

Cottbus was really exciting, as it was my first World Cup competing for GB! I was only competing bars and beam, so I wasn’t as nervous and just wanted to enjoy the experience! Qualifying for my first World Cup final was really amazing – especially it being bars, as I’d worked really hard to get my routine back after my injury. The final was a really high standard, so I had no expectations and just wanted to take it all in in the moment. To come away with 4th was just amazing!

Do you remember how you felt representing Team GB at a competition for the first time?

The first time I competed for GB was at a 5-way competition in Germany in 2023. I went into the competition putting no pressure on myself or the team, which meant we could just enjoy the experience as much as possible!

Do you have a favourite aspect of being part of the British and Welsh squads and competing internationally?

All the girls in GB and Welsh squads are just so nice, and we all get on very well, which makes training and competing so much better! Competing internationally for GB and Wales always makes me feel so proud and I can realise how far I’ve come in the last few years!

Where does your love of artistic gymnastics come from and how did you originally get into it?

I think the reason we started gym was because we were always so crazy at home, so our parents thought that the sessions would be good to burn some energy! My twin sister and I started gym when we were four years old, in the teddy bear sessions at our club, and then continued through the levels to where we are now!

Your twin sister Abbie is also an artistic gymnast, how is it training together and competing in the same sport?

We are quite competitive sometimes in training and in competition, but I think that helps us get the most out of it, as we are always pushing to be better than each other! Sometimes we do bicker, but I think that’s just a normal sister relationship, and what you get when you spend all your time together!

Can you tell us about your typical training day at Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club?

Usually we get to the gym around 4:30, as we have university during the day. We start with warm-up and conditioning, then move on to the apparatus. Normally, it’s 30 minutes on vault and floor, and then an hour on beam and bars. Then we finish with a bit more conditioning and then a good stretch out!

Some days we have longer sessions, depending on when we’ve got uni, but it varies from week to week at the moment!

Were there any gymnasts that inspired you when growing up and do you have any other favourite sports to watch?

I remember loving so many gymnasts whilst I was growing up, but I really enjoyed watching all the GB girls at the big international comps!

How do you like to spend your time away from gymnastics?

At the moment, most of my time is spent either in the gym or at university, which I’ve recently started in October! Normally, I spend my free time with my friends and family, doing the things we love the best, like shopping or going to the cinema!

Do you have any competitions coming up that you can tell us about or that you are targeting?

I’ve recently competed in the British Club Team Championships, where Pipers Vale became the Team champions – such a huge achievement for us and the club!

The next comps I’m aiming for are the World Cups and Home Nations competitions!

The next big aim is the Commonwealth Games and the Europeans, so really everything this year is working towards those goals!

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Instagram – Emily | Roper Twins