A few weeks before the British Teams I started to feel excited. It was my first time entering this competition , last year I had watched the older girls compete and it was great to think that this year I would be competing!I was told I would probably be in Heathrow's A team , but we had some trial competitions to finalise who would be picked for which team,. I was really hoping to be in the A-team because I knew they would be in the same round as Liverpool , which meant I would be competing with Beth Tweddle! Some of my team mates like Leigh Rogers and Amy Nunes had injuries in the build up to the competition and we didn't know how quickly they would recover ,so we didn't know how well the team would do. But I was just happy to be going and where we came didn't seem that important!!

The week before the competition Patsy Burrell came in with our new leotards. They were white with rainbow ribbons and everyone loved them. I've never worn a leotard with a separate body before, but we all had to because they were white!! I think we had the best leotards in the competition!

I stayed with Amy Nunes the night before the competition and we watched a film and relaxed.We had a cooked breakfast and traveled down to Guilford with Amy's mum! We were both really excited! The crowd at Guilford was big and nosy and it was an amazing atmosphere. I saw my mum and sister sitting with the other Heathrow supporters and waved to her I was so excited to be competing in the same round as famous gymnasts like Beth Tweddle and Rhian Pugh and kept watching them. Podium training went well and soon it was time for us to line up in our teams and come on. Our names were called individually and we had to run on to the floor while the crowd cheered. The girls from different teams greeted the crowd in different ways . We ran on and blew a kiss to the crowd. By now I was so excited and happy that I couldn't stop smiling.

We were on beam first. Becky Wing did a fantastic routine and stuck everything and I was up next. I was so nervous I could feel my legs shaking , but I stuck all my moves including my free walkover and flick layout and landed my dismount to go clean. I was so relieved and so glad I had got through it. The rest of the team went clean too and Michelle, our beam coach hugged us all and was really pleased.

Next it was floor and I was a nervous because I was first up. I felt a bit scared as I waited for the judges to signal and the music to start, but once I heard the music I felt fine and loved every second of it. I landed all my tumbles(double pike, two and a half twist and whip flick to double twist). My leaps and spins went well and it was just such an amazing experience. And I ended up with a tenth place overall on floor ! My floor coach Natalia was really happy with my routine. Becky was on floor next and did a great routine, but her triple twist went out of the floor area and cost her a big deduction. Jess and Amy went next and Leigh was last on floor, but she hurt her ankle after her tumble and had to sit out of the rest of the competition. It was really sad for her but she was very brave.

It was vault next , and I suddenly realised that I would have to vault , because Leigh wouldn't be able to. I was a bit nervous and was hoping it would go OK and nothing would go wrong. I did my piked yurchenko and even though I had to take a few steps backwards I was pleased with it and pleased that I managed to stay on my feet and helped the team total! Bars were next and in training I'd been having a few problems with my giant full going wonky, so I was really nervous, especially since I was first up again. I did upstart to handstand and hit handstand, then a toe-on which was a bit archy, and mo-shoot to upstart handstand, then my giant full , which was OK and not wonky, but my short clear wasn't very good , then a giant and double pike dismount, which landed really well. I was so pleased to have finished the competition and could relax and cheer on my team mates . Going first didn't seem so bad now! The rest of the team did really well and Vince, our bar coach looked happy.

Next we went out of the arena to wait for the results and to march on. I chatted with some of my friends from World Start squad and everyone seemed really happy and excited to be there. Then we lined up with the B team who had competed in the morning round and talked about how everyone had done. We marched on and waited for the results to be announced.

No one was surprised that Liverpool had won, their team was amazing and just competing against Beth Tweddle was like a dream come true. Notts were announced as silver medallists and took their place on the podium. I had seen Beckie Downie's floor and it was fantastic. I couldn't believe it when they called my team, Heathrow A, as third place. I think I ran to the podium , and I saw my mum and sister in the audience cheering and I felt so proud and happy. I remember standing there with my team mates and getting the medal put around my neck.We got some flowers too and we had our photograph's taken. My first British Teams competition and I had won a bronze medal with my team! It was one of the best days of my life and I can't wait to do it all again next year!

As told to Sarah Kirby, May 7th 2005
Photos also by Sarah Kirby