The last 18 months have been a whirlwind for Abi Martin.
In April 2024, the Devon-born gymnast was celebrating her 16th birthday and preparing for her upcoming GCSEs.
Fast-forward three months and the teenager was swapping the silence of an exam hall for the deafening noise of the Accor Arena as she found herself part of Team GB’s gymnastic squad at Paris 2024.
Now, Martin is standing on the cusp of her debut World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta having won gold on vault at the 2025 Paris World Challenge Cup in September.
It’s been quite the journey, and one the 2024 European Championship team silver medallist can scarcely believe has happened.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming,” said Martin. “I forget this is what I do. I am an Olympian, and I did go to the Olympics, and I’m about to compete at my first Worlds. It feels like I’m back to my younger self dreaming of these things, but now it’s actually happening.
“[I just say to myself] keep following the journey and keep trusting the process. The path will lead you in the right direction.”
Alongside Becky Downie, Ruby Evans, Georgia-Mae Fenton, and Alice Kinsella, Martin helped Team GB to fourth place in the team final in the French capital on her Olympic debut, contributing with a score of 13.466 on floor.
It was an experience the 17-year-old cherishes deeply, describing it as one of the best of her life, and one she’ll also lean on in Jakarta when she takes on the world once more.
She continued: “When I got selected for that [Olympic] team, it was a reminder that you’re not a junior anymore. You are a senior now, and you’re going to be with all these amazing gymnasts.
“I did have to step up and be prepared for that. Even though I’ve not done any major competitions since then, I feel like I have that experience with me now to carry into the Worlds.”
Life hasn’t always been plain sailing for Martin. Injuries to both ankles – which were only discovered after the Paris Games – kept her out for six months while mental blocks also provided another hurdle the youngster had to overcome.
Martin admitted restoring both her physical and mental health was a tough process to go through, but now on the other side, she believes it is a time in her life that has made her stronger.
“It was hard,” Martin said of her injury-enforced time away from the sport. “I’d never had even a small injury before. For my first proper injury to be six months out, especially after coming back from the Olympics with all that fire in my belly, being told I couldn’t really do anything was probably the hardest part.
“But I just knew what I had to do to get back, and I knew what my goals were coming into this year. I wanted to go to the Worlds if I was fit and ready.
“I hadn’t really had mental blocks before either. It happened at the same time as the injury, and I didn’t really know what to do with myself. But I had such a great team supporting me and reminding me of my goals.
“I feel like I’ve learnt how to overcome a mental block now. It’s always going to be hard, and most gymnasts get them.”
Despite still being a teenager, the way Martin carries herself both in person and on social media exudes a maturity beyond her years.
The 17-year-old bravely opened up about her mental struggles on Instagram earlier this year, having been inspired by seven-time Olympic champion Simone Biles.
She said: “It’s really important [that I shared my experiences about mental blocks], especially for the younger [gymnasts] coming through, to know that it is okay. Even some of the greatest gymnasts get them, Simone Biles had the twisties at the Olympics.
“When I first got mental blocks, I thought something was wrong, and I didn’t know what to do. I hadn’t seen many gymnasts talk or post about it, except Simone. I just want to make other gymnasts aware that it’s okay and part of learning in gymnastics.”
Now back fit and firing, Martin is excited about representing Great Britain alongside fellow Olympian Evans, Alia Leat and 16-year-old Shantae-Eve Amankwaah at the 16,500 capacity Indonesia Arena.
But she is also keeping her expectations tempered, with the teenager still looking to establish herself on the global stage.
She added: “It would be great [to medal], but my goal is to go out there, enjoy it, do my best, maybe make one or two finals, and prove to myself that I can do it. It’s been a tough year, but I’m back.
“This is the building stage. It’s only the first year into the new quad after the Olympics. We just build from here. It’s my first World Championships, so I want to see what I can do and where I stand among the world.”
Sportsbeat 2025
