Competing nationally in any sport is no mean feat, and being competitive on an international level is an entirely different ball game. But at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, MML student Maddie Marshall managed to achieve this. I caught up with the New Zealand gymnast to get an insight into what it takes to get to the top.

Under the bright lights, in tune with the moment, hearing the noise radiating throughout the arena, Maddie Marshall stepped up to the runway for her vault attempt. Calm and composed in front of a packed crowd, she sprinted towards the vault and landed cleanly, obtaining a score of 12.700. A fantastic start to what would be a very positive Worlds for the New Zealander. Competing in all four disciplines (floor, vault, bars and beam), Marshall put on a promising performance which highlighted her true prowess and potential.

But how did this journey begin?

“Marshall began her journey at a Tumble Tots class”

As with the vast majority of elite-level gymnasts, Marshall started gymnastics from a young age, but not in the most conventional fashion. In a sport where athletes are conditioned to be in an intense sporting environment from early on, Marshall began her journey at a Tumble Tots class at the age of four, before trying out for her primary school’s floor and vault club. Living in Tooting in south-west London, there weren’t a plethora of artistic gymnastics clubs in the area. As such, she only joined an official gymnastics team at the age of ten. Marshall began to learn the art of all four disciplines, favouring vault and floor. Hard work and enjoyment led to Marshall competing in her first Nationals when she was 13. She reflected: “I fell on beam twice, so it wasn’t anything special” - a self-deprecating, humble comment, a trait which defines her character.

Following the spread of Covid-19 and the closure of all gyms across the country, Marshall resorted to training consistently at home in her back garden. Even as restrictions began to lift, she had to go to her local gym day-in, day-out to train by herself; sustained consistency which would prove crucial in the long run.

A change of club in 2021 contributed to an exponential increase in success. Under the guidance of Carla Gale-Parks, Marshall placed 2nd on floor at Nationals for her age group. In 2022, she competed at her first senior British Championships, telling me: “I was starstruck competing against the other gymnasts who you see on the TV.” Taking many positives away from this competition, and following discussions with her team, Marshall opted to change her allegiance to New Zealand – qualifying through ancestral grounds.

This decision soon paid off. At the end of 2022, Marshall placed second all-around at the New Zealand National Championships, including first on floor – a meteoric rise from training by herself at her local gym only a year prior.

“It was really inspirational watching the world’s best gymnasts fighting it out for world medals”

2023 proved to be vital in her development as a gymnast on the international stage. Having performed extremely well at the National Championships, Marshall was given the opportunity to represent New Zealand at a World Cup event in Germany in floor, vault and beam. Marshall revealed that it was a big learning curve for her: “It wasn’t my finest competition as it was the first time being on a big stage, but it was good to get the nerves out.” Marshall also humourously added: “I even fell flat on my face in my floor routine”.

Despite not having her best performance, the competitions were non-stop, with events in Qatar, Azerbaijan and latterly Australia in May 2023 for the Oceania Championships. There, Marshall delivered when it mattered most, placing second out of all Kiwi gymnasts to secure a place at the World Championships in October 2023.

At the Worlds, Marshall competed against the greatest gymnast of all time, Simone Biles; no easy feat and certainly one of the highlights of her career so far. Marshall, a current first year MML student at St John’s, stated: “It was really inspirational watching the world’s best gymnasts fighting it out for world medals.” Despite not making it into the vault or floor final (her best apparatus), Marshall knew she had gained a plethora of experience from these Championships, and with an upcoming Olympics in Paris, she knew this was a step in the right direction.

Evaluating her circumstances at the start of year 13, Marshall delayed applying to university to focus on increasing her chances of making the Olympic team and achieving the best A-level results possible. It goes without saying that balancing any elite sport with academics is extremely difficult: “I had to be very disciplined. Whenever I had free time, I had to be productive. During this time, it a lot was down to the support of my teachers. At my school they were all really supportive, and were willing to do one-to-one sessions during their free time, as well as giving me extra deadlines.”

“The Olympics were always going to be a long shot”

During her final year at school, Marshall produced her strongest performance yet at a World Cup event in Doha, placing ninth on vault. Subsequently, she flew to New Zealand, missing an A-level Physics paper, to compete at the Oceania Championships in the hope of gaining a spot on New Zealand’s Olympic team. However, a rolled ankle from a straddle jump meant heartbreak for Marshall as she was ruled out of the competition and, in turn, out of Olympic contention. On reflection, Marshall acknowledged how difficult this experience was since she had trained so hard to get there, but humbly noted that “the Olympics were always going to be a long shot”.

Despite this adversity, an ever-persevering attitude prevailed as she achieved outstanding A-levels: A*, A*, A in Spanish, Maths and Physics – results which helped her gain a place to study Modern and Medieval Languages at St John’s, Cambridge.

During her gap year, she enjoyed continued success on the international circuit, despite breaking her elbow in November 2024. A positive appearance in a World Cup event in Croatia was capped off by a fine performance in a World Cup event in Qatar. She reached the final on vault and achieved a personal best, a reflection of Marshall’s promising potential on the international stage.

Currently training at Huntingdon Gymnastics Club while studying at Cambridge, Marshall hopes to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year, as well as the University Games in 2027, where she will have the opportunity to represent both Cambridge and New Zealand.

As with anything, no one knows what the future holds. What is certain, however, is that Marshall’s humble and persevering attitude exemplifies the characteristics of a true student athlete, and will stand her in great stead to achieve incredible success.