Living360 sat down with former Olympic gymnast Ellie Downie to discuss her decision to quit her beloved sport, and her journey of healing.
Ellie Downie is one of Britain’s most decorated gymnasts, with 12 senior medals, including Great Britain’s first major all-around gold at the 2017 European Championships.
In 2023, at what looked like the height of her career, Ellie shocked the sporting world when she posted on X to announce that she’d made the tough decision to retire from the sport at the age of 23 ‘to prioritise mental health and happiness’.
Since stepping down from gymnastics, Ellie has become an outspoken wellness advocate.
She’s taken her experiences — the highs, the lows, the mental challenges — and channelled them into building something meaningful for others. And in the process, she’s finding new joy and purpose on her own terms.
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Ellie’s groundbreaking gymnastic career
For Ellie Downie, her journey into gymnastics began at the age of just three in a local gym club in Nottingham.
What started as a fun childhood activity snowballed into a groundbreaking career, culminating in her representing Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when she was only 17. But her proudest moment came in 2017, when she became the first British woman to win the European all-around championship.
“It was a huge milestone,” she says. “Along with winning the world bronze medal in vault in 2019 — another first for a British woman — these were the highlights of my career.”
Putting her mental health first
Despite her record-breaking achievements, Ellie ultimately made the difficult decision to leave competitive gymnastics behind.
“Gymnastics is incredibly intense, right from the start,” she explains. “You begin very young, and there’s so much pressure to succeed early on, as gymnasts’ careers tend to be short. Balancing that pressure with education and striving to be the best — it can take a serious mental toll.”
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Ellie reflects that the immense expectations of the sport, particularly on young athletes, is something she hopes the gymnastics community will address for future generations.
After years of dedicating herself to an intense training regime, Ellie began to feel that her journey in gymnastics was reaching its natural end.
“I felt like things were out of my control, and I knew it was time to move on,” she says.
Despite the uncertainty, her friends, family and coaches were supportive. “They just want me to be happy,” she says. “Of course, they were a bit nervous about what I’d do next, but they understood that no one can perform at the highest level forever. Putting my happiness first was the most important thing.”
Ellie’s journey of healing
Since stepping away from gymnastics, Ellie has prioritised her mental wellbeing, undergoing a year of therapy that helped her process her experiences in the sport.
“Therapy helped me understand how gymnastics had affected me and gave me tools to manage my mental health,” she shares. “I’ve also focused on doing things that bring me joy — and I discovered that what truly makes me happy is helping others feel good about themselves.”
This passion led Ellie to launch Embrace Wellness Studio, a Manchester-based fitness space designed to help people feel comfortable and confident in their bodies.
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“After dealing with body shaming and self-consciousness in gymnastics, I wanted to create a space where everyone feels they belong, regardless of their body type or fitness background,” she explains. “Too often, certain types of exercise are seen as only suitable for certain body types. I wanted to break that stereotype.”
At Embrace, Ellie has built a close-knit community where people can connect, support one another and grow together. “For me, wellness goes beyond physical health — it’s about mental health too, and I believe the two are deeply interconnected,” she says.
Now, she’s focusing on helping others find balance, joy and a true sense of belonging.
“My job brings me so much happiness. It’s incredibly rewarding to help people feel good in their own skin and build a supportive community.
