Michelle Flemings
Founder and Director
Michelle has been involved in gymnastics for almost her entire life, first as a gymnast and then as a coach, beginning her coaching career at just 16 years old.
Her career has since spanned more than three decades, taking her from recreational and club gymnastics to coaching on some of the biggest stages in world sport.
Michelle is a two-time Olympic gymnastics coach and has coached internationally at Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Cups and numerous international competitions.
She also spent almost nine years as Lead Coach for the England Women’s Artistic Gymnastics programme, helping to develop and lead gymnasts and coaches within the national programme.
Alongside her coaching career, Michelle originally trained and worked as a physiotherapist, including experience within the NHS, private practice and elite sport. This background has given her an additional understanding of physical development, movement, injury prevention and the importance of building strong foundations in young athletes.
Despite having spent much of her career in high-performance gymnastics, Michelle’s passion has always extended far beyond medals and results.
She believes gymnastics can give children skills that stay with them long after they leave the gym: self-belief, determination, discipline, teamwork, friendships and the confidence to challenge themselves.
From Elite Gymnastics Back to the Local Community
After many years of travelling extensively for gymnastics and working within elite sport, Michelle reached a point where she wanted the next chapter of her career to be closer to home.
Having lived locally with her husband and children for many years, creating Gymstars Academy is an opportunity to give something back to the community her own family is part of.
The aim is to take the knowledge, experience and standards developed over decades within gymnastics and use them to create an environment where local children can benefit — regardless of their starting point or eventual level.
Children do not need to want to become elite gymnasts to benefit from excellent coaching.
At Gymstars Academy, we believe every child deserves knowledgeable coaches, safe and progressive gymnastics, encouragement and the opportunity to achieve something they are proud of.
Experience From Grassroots to the Olympic Games
Michelle’s experience includes:
● Over 30 years of gymnastics coaching
● Two Olympic Games as a gymnastics coach
● World Championships
● European Championships
● Commonwealth Games
● International World Cups and competitions
● Almost nine years leading the England Women’s Artistic Gymnastics programme
● Extensive experience coaching and developing gymnasts from beginner through to international level
● A professional background in physiotherapy and elite sport
● Founder and Director of MG Gymstars, established in 2010 and grown from just six gymnasts into a thriving gymnastics community
This breadth of experience has shaped the philosophy behind Gymstars Academy: high standards without losing the fun.
