I was seven when I first started Gymnastics. I was a very hyperactive child. I tried a
lot of different sports including swimming, ballet, horse-riding and hockey. I enjoyed
doing them but nothing really clicked. It was only when my dad's friend said 'why don't
you come along to Gymnastics?' that I did my first competition and I thought, 'that's
the stage I want to be on'. I first started training with Amanda when
I was twelve. I was not scared of her, but she was master and I obeyed every command.
As I've got older, it has become more of a two-way relationship. If we are discussing
a new routine, she will ask me what I think about it, whereas when I was younger she would
say, 'these are the skills you need to learn ready for competition'.
Amanda Reddin: She came through the door already in regional competitions and had nearly got
on the national scene but wasn't quite there. But as soon as she walked through the door
after about a week or so you just knew all she wanted to do was to please. Just want
to please you, 'give me more' - it's all in the eye's really as in 'give me, give me,
give me' and so you do. That's what's helped us get as far as we've got really.
Beth Tweddle: I get a lot of support both from UK Sport my home club my parents. After
Beijing a lot of people said, 'are you going to carry on?' and my immediate reaction was
'no it's far too long away, four years, I'm not going be able to continue training'. I'm
just lucky that I've got a good relationship with Amanda that's enabled me to do that.
But there is still one dream I'm chasing and I'd love to finish my career with an Olympic
medal. Amanda Reddin: It is just another completion
and that's how we have got to deal with it. We are lucky enough that it is just another
Olympics, it will be Beth's third, Hannah's second and Jenni's, hopefully, first. The
deal is to get them all there. Hannah Whelan: I'm constantly in the gym at
the moment to be honest. I kind of live here. There are four pieces of apparatus; normally
we would do all four in the morning and then we will come back and do another second session
on bars and beam because they are more technical pieces. And then anything else that Amanda
wants us to do like conditioning and stretching and things like that.
Jenni Pinches: This is like my second home really. I think I'm here more than I am at
home really because I training over thirty hours a week as do a lot of the other girls
who are training for the Olympic Games. Amanda is a bit like our second mum as well. I think
we see more of her than our mums, so we have got to be close to get along. We support each
other though when we have bad days or good days.
Beth Tweddle: Everyone wants one of those five places in the team, but we are very supportive
of each other. We spend a lot of time with together, we're like sisters, everyone knows
each other inside out. If someone is having a bad day you can cheer them up or if someone
is too giddy you can bring them down. I'd say that we've got a very good team spirit.
Jenni Pinches: We would be crazy if we weren't excited to have the chance to compete in the
Olympic Games in our home country. The build up to that is like a slow progression, but
every step of the way is important and we're getting really excited now.
Hannah Whelan: I'm really excited. I think you are going to see a lot more of it around.
I'm quite nervous, but I'm excited.
Amanda Reddin: All you want them to do is deliver what they deliver day in, day out.
At the end of the day, if they can do that, that's all you can ask of them. They have
done as you have asked and you can be the proudest person at that moment in time in
world.
