The first British artistic gymnast to return to elite competition after giving birth aims for a rare comeback, with a possible debut at the World Championships in Rotterdam next month.
24-year-old Olympic bronze medallist Alice Kinsella took only three weeks off after having her son Parker and went back to training after just six months of maternity leave. Despite not being able to regain all her strength immediately, she has made huge gains and is currently training three times a week.
Her body changed dramatically during pregnancy and childbirth - her hips are wider and her stomach power was affected by abs separating. However, thanks to the support of her partner Will and mother, Kinsella managed to rebuild her core strength and regain enough power to return to apparatus work.
Kinsella believes that due to her gymnastics background she has been able to adapt back into physical exercise so quickly postpartum. Nevertheless, she is cautious about rushing back to competition and plans to "take it day by day" until the end of 2026.
Senior conditioning coach Ben Young says Kinsella can be a pioneer for other gymnasts who want to return to elite sport after having children. A research paper titled 'Returning to sport postpartum: a case study of an elite gymnast' is currently being written at the University of Kent, led by Dr Julie Gooderick.
Their aim is to track Kinsella's data and present her as a holistic approach for returning to elite sport after having a child. They will monitor factors including physical testing data, hormonal profiles via blood tests, psychological factors, sleep patterns and changes over time in other aspects such as trunk capacities and force production.
24-year-old Olympic bronze medallist Alice Kinsella took only three weeks off after having her son Parker and went back to training after just six months of maternity leave. Despite not being able to regain all her strength immediately, she has made huge gains and is currently training three times a week.
Her body changed dramatically during pregnancy and childbirth - her hips are wider and her stomach power was affected by abs separating. However, thanks to the support of her partner Will and mother, Kinsella managed to rebuild her core strength and regain enough power to return to apparatus work.
Kinsella believes that due to her gymnastics background she has been able to adapt back into physical exercise so quickly postpartum. Nevertheless, she is cautious about rushing back to competition and plans to "take it day by day" until the end of 2026.
Senior conditioning coach Ben Young says Kinsella can be a pioneer for other gymnasts who want to return to elite sport after having children. A research paper titled 'Returning to sport postpartum: a case study of an elite gymnast' is currently being written at the University of Kent, led by Dr Julie Gooderick.
Their aim is to track Kinsella's data and present her as a holistic approach for returning to elite sport after having a child. They will monitor factors including physical testing data, hormonal profiles via blood tests, psychological factors, sleep patterns and changes over time in other aspects such as trunk capacities and force production.
. The fact that she was able to adapt her training regimen postpartum speaks volumes about the physical benefits of having a child, particularly in terms of core strength and maternal physiology 
. It's also interesting to note how Kinsella's experience can serve as a pioneer for other gymnasts looking to return to competitive sport after having children 
.
. By tracking Kinsella's physical, hormonal, psychological, and sleep patterns, they'll be able to shed light on the complexities of returning to elite sport postpartum 
. This kind of longitudinal study will undoubtedly contribute meaningfully to our understanding of female athletes' experiences during this critical life transition 
.
. But hey, it's great that she's getting back into it and maybe inspiring others who want to make the comeback 
.
. What's impressive is that she's been able to regain some of her strength in just six months - thats dedication 
.
she's like a total inspiration to me! i mean, she gave birth to her lil boy and then just 3 wks later was back on the gym floor?! 
, back on the training floor just 6 months post-baby 
. Her body did go thru some major changes tho 
, but she's like super dedicated to rebuilding her core strength & power 
, that's so responsible & focused! And can we talk about the research paper being written? 
. I'm rooting for Alice 4eva 
! 
