Hello,

It has been 8 weeks since my last blog. I have had a lot going on and it has not been a very good time. I have had injuries and pain and been worried, but I am getting better now and excited about my good news! Here’s my blog.

Weds 17 April 11am – 3pm

I did 5 more tkatchevs today. That’s 8 this week I think!

My hamstring is sore. I think I might have over stretched it. I don’t know. I’ve iced it put a hot water bottle on it and Mum has given me a massage. I must not do any leaps for a week.
Thurs. My hamstring really hurts. I will not be able to do any running. I need to take care of it and keep doing ice, heat, massage I think. Gym 1-8pm. I warmed up on the P bars by holding myself up by my arms and air cycling! I might be able to do lots of bars today. ☺

I did spins on beam, used the tee trainer on fast track, and on bars did two really cool tricks! I don’t know what they are called. 😂 I managed the whole 7 hours.

Our lovely physio said I must not run, or cartwheel or pull my leg in any way. I need to ice at different times.

Good Friday 19 April
As soon as I got up I was icing. Gym training 10 – 2pm. It was our Easter egg hunt in the gym! I only walked 😉 then iced again. I kept doing that through my gym session.

Kelly showed me a drawing that Jemma Drawing had done of me based on the British Championships photo. It’s cool.

I had Saturday and Easter Sunday off. I had fun with my family and cousins as we were caravanning and went to the beach and in the countryside. Yay ☺

Mon 10 – 2pm

Tues 4-8.30pm I went back to school after the Easter holiday. I was OK about going back. ☺ I couldn’t ice at school though! I think maybe my leg is getting a bit better? I am still not running though. I had to warm up on P bars holding myself up with my arms and cycling in the air. I tried a backward roll to handstand on the floor beam. It’s two days until my birthday 🎂!

Weds Day off. I made cakes to take to gym for all my friends tomorrow! Yum!

Thursday. It’s my birthday, and I am so excited! I am meeting my friends before school, then I’ve got school art club at lunchtime then parents evening after school! (They HAVE to say nice things about me 😂) I showed Mum the display that PE has on the wall at school.

I then got to gym at 5.30 and stayed until 8.30pm. My British Champs song ‘I am a giant’ came on when I was on Bars! 🎉

I had lots of lovely messages for my 12th birthday! It’s been a lovely day.

Fri 10 – 5pm. I am still not running and I am being careful with my hamstring. I did lots of bars today.

Sat. Kelly was really poorly today, so our training was cancelled. Get better soon! So, I had a day off…to ice my leg!

Sun Day off

Mon. My left leg was still feeling sore. 😔 4-8pm.

Tues 30 April. I went to see my physio today. I realised that my back and leg really hurts. 😔 My lower back is inflammed and sore and it’s making my leg sore and tight too. I have to stop doing gym for a week and rest it and take medication and do special exercises and Mum needs to do lots of massage on me. I know that I need to do this to get better. I think my body has been doing so much with all my comps and Squad camp and training, as I’ve been doing lots of routines, and it’ss just been used so much. It needs a rest and to get better.

We had a chat to Kelly and we are going to work together with my physio. So I didn’t go to training tonight.

I am missing being at the gym. I know that at my level of gymnastics I am going to get some injuries and sore parts of my body, so I just have to do what I need to do and then I’ll move forwards again and do great things again.

Weds. I had more medication and exercises and massage!

Thurs 2 May. I wanted to go into the gym to do my physio exercises, see Kelly and see my friends. So I did! 4.30pm until 6pm. I only did my physio exercises, nothing else, but then Kelly said to visualise my routines on each piece three times, so I sat down and closed my eyes and I went through it all in my head.

Friday 3 May – Tues 7 May

I went into the gym just to do my physio exercises and some visualisations. I had more massage and ibuprofen at home too. My back is still sore 😔 I think it hurts a bit higher up now. But I must stay positive and hope with time, rest and doing the right things it will get better. ☺

Thurs 8 May. I just did my physio exercises in the gym again. My sister Bella started back today! It felt a bit weird but nice to have her in the gym with me again. I think it’s been a year and a half since she left . She worked really hard! Mum picked us both up after a few hours.

Fri I am still doing just my exercises, going to the gym to do them and doing my visualisations and taking painkillers. I hope it gets better soon.

I had a sleepover with my friends which made me happy.

Sat I went to gym 12-2pm to just do my exercises and to be in the gym. My back is still sore 😔 and I’m also getting a few headaches in the front of my face and head. We all think that I need an X-ray or scan as there might be something more seriously wrong with my back or some damage. I really want to know what’s wrong and then we can work out a way to fix it and have a plan on my recovery. I want to be doing gymnastics but I know that I can’t at the moment. I went to Bella’s glass art party, which made me feel better.

Sun Day off and no physio exercises

Mon I couldn’t see the doctor today so went into the gym to do my exercises and see my friends 4-6pm. Kelly said that I’d make a good judge as we were both scoring my squad mates and ended up with deductions that were nearly the same!

Tues. I saw the doctor today.

Weds 15 May. It’s been exactly 2 years since my major head trauma gym accident.

Thurs. I went into gym with Bella and Jack at 5pm.

Fri I saw my physio and my doctor today. We think I do need to have an xray or scan of my back and hip. Something is going on. I might have a stress fracture in my spine. I have less physio exercises to do as my back is still sore. I just need to know what’s going on and how I can more forward and do my recovery. 🙏

Sat 18 May.
Bella’s birthday! My back is really painful. I know something is wrong and I want to know what it is. I’ll do my exercises at home today and not go into gym. I am trying to stay positive and happy.

Sunday 19 May. I started my hydrotherapy programme today ☺ 20 lengths of the swimming pool. After 2 lengths I had to have 1 minute rest then go again. I could only do front crawl or back stroke, as I’m not allowed breast stroke due to the hip movement. It was good to have a programme and be aiming towards goals again. It was a sunny day in the garden to relax afterwards. ☀

Monday 20 May. I went into gym today to do my spin bike rehab therapy. 20mins on the bike plus my three physio exercises. I think my body needs to be doing some activity as it is so used to doing lots and lots!

Tues. It’s my swimming rehab day! 20 lengths in the lanes with Dad tonight. Hopefully I’ll hear when I’ll get a MRI scan soon.

Weds day of rest.

Thurs 5-6pm in the gym to do my bike programme.

Tonight I heard some GOOD NEWS… I’ve been selected to be in the England Squad for 2019/2020 as one of the Espoirs! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🎉

Yay! I am so pleased and proud to be selected for England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 . I think I am the youngest in the squad, the only first year Espoir. 🎉

Well done to all the others who go in too! I just need to get my back better. 🤞 I hope I get a MRI scan soon. I am still doing my swimming programme, bike programme, and gym visualisations on the equipment and my physio exercises.

Sat. Kelly was away at a comp today so I went into the gym at 9am to help Lauren with Kelly’s babies, the Amethyst group. It was great! At 12pm I did my spin bike programme and other physio and visualisations.

More swimming and cycling this week

Friday 31 May. After my cycling in the gym and physio exercises Dad drove me to Exeter for an MRI scan. I was so happy that I now had a scan booked. I had a few scans of my back and hip. (I remembered having one of these scans after my head injury two years ago.)

I had to stay really still. I stayed so still that I fell asleep inside it opps! 😂 I had ear phones over my ears and they played music. It was like being a baby at bedtime and having a lullaby song sung to me to get me to sleep. So I went to sleep! 😂 I won’t know my results until Tuesday. I hope we know soon if there is a fracture in my spine or not and if there is any damage or not and how I can get better and get back to gym. I am hoping.

Sat. We went swimming again today and did my lengths. I think I’m getting much better at swimming now ☺ Guess what, after swimming…
My sister and I had our ears pierced!!!! I couldn’t have it done until after my MRI as you can’t have metal in the scan machine. We are so happy!!! Now we have to put tape on our ears when we go to gym 😂 I can’t believe that I have had it done. 🤪

Sunday. I should be at South West squad training today at Falcons but I can’t because of my injury, so it is a rest day at home.

Monday 3 June 2019 gym 4-5.30 spin cycling, physio and visualisation.

Tues 4 June. More swimming.

Weds 5 June. My MRI Scan results are back. It’s good news. There is NO stress fracture. Which is very great news. They say that everything in my back and hip looks normal and there is no damage to my spine. But I am still feeling pain and I don’t understand why. I hope we can now work out how to make my pain and tightness go away. I think my lower back has to act as a shock absorber for all my tumbles and all my landings on hard. Will I always have a bit of pain? !! Now we know that I am not going to damage myself any more, I can start doing lots more fun exercise and I can carefully build my body back up…but why is it hurting? I can get back doing some gym and dancing (I really love dancing too) and running and PE. I like athletics and I am quite good at that. Maybe I’m growing and that’s hurting me too?

It was fun doing some basic gym skills again today. ☺I did giants on metal and upstarts and preps on vault for yerchenkos.

The new hall of fame board is up on the wall at Falcons! That’s really nice. I am proud to be in the GB Performance Pathway Squad for 2019 and England Squad for 2019/2020. It is such a brilliant achievement for me.

Fri. I had lots of physio today and massage, and then went to the gym. They think my back is hurting because of my nerves in my back and leg, and my nerves are making my leg tight, but we are going to get me better and I am going to do more now that I know my back doesn’t have a stress fracture. I am happy about that. With the help of everyone around me and the support of Mike, Kelly and my physio Megan we will work out my rehab programme, exercises and treatment plan and I will get back to normal and aim and try to get fit for GB and England Squad training next month. I really really hope so.

Now that I know my back doesn’t have a fracture, I can go to my brother’s aquapark party tomorrow and join in, carefully. Yay! (It’s going to be freezing!!!)

I have been listening to some older songs with Mum, and I really like Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a Prayer’.

That’s me! ‘Woah, we’re half way there, Woah, liv’ in on a prayer, Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear, Woah livin’ on a prayer’ 😂

Thanks for supporting me and helping me.

Fliss x