Former Norfolk gymnast left with eating disorder and PTSD after alleged abuse

A former gymnast from Norfolk says she's struggled with eating disorders and PTSD since alleged abuse within the sport.

Nicole Pavier, who's now 24, first started gymnastics when she was 6 years old - but says she's suffering from what happened, seven years after she was medically retired.

She says there were times her and her teammates were hoping they were injured.

"Having conversations with team mates, and joking that we'd rather throw ourselves down the stairs than go training, is quite concerning now.

"And when we'd go to the doctors, we were praying that something was broken so that our pain would be justified."

Nicole is now one of 17 former British gymnasts, including three Olympians, who have served a Letter of Claim against British Gymnastics, the sport's governing body, including allegations of systemic physical and psychological abuse.

The claimants allege that during training and competitions they were subjected to persistent abuse that has caused them to sustain serious and continuing psychological and physical damage.

The alleged abuse was perpetrated by coaches and others employed by British Gymnastics at various clubs across the UK, all of which were affiliated with the governing body.

The allegations involve both physical and psychological abuse. Examples include:

• Widespread inappropriate use of physical force by coaches against gymnasts constituting physical assault
• A 'cavalier' attitude to injury and/or complaints of pain and pressure on gymnasts to continue to train whilst injured
• General and widespread failure by coaches to properly supervise physically demanding and potentially dangerous disciplines
• Abusive and harmful coaching techniques which have no justification in science or theory
• This conduct is alleged by main in the claimant group to have caused multiple and long-lasting musculoskeletal injuries
• Inappropriate and baseless weight management techniques were widespread and very often deployed against young children, which is alleged to have caused eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and an unhealthy relationship with food, from which many of the claimants have been unable to recover.
• Coaches excessively controlled, directly and indirectly, gymnasts' diet and fluid intake
• Controlling behaviour by coaches inhibiting gymnasts' social interactions beyond the gym
• Frequent, unnecessary, and abusive punishments for minor and/or non-existent 'offences'
• Coaches used 'gaslighting' and other manipulative behaviour to undermine and break their gymnasts
• In almost all cases this conduct is alleged to have caused psychological injury, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which, it is alleged, continue to afflict many of the claimants to this day.

Litigation law firm Hausfeld & Co LLP is serving the Letter of Claim on behalf of the gymnasts represented by the Firm.

The Letter of Claim sets out that the practices reported across the Claimant group are consistent with a ‘winning at all costs’ mentality at the elite level of the sport, with British Gymnastics prioritising sporting success over the physical and psychological needs of individual athletes, many of whom were children at the relevant time.

The revelations made in July 2020 led to the commissioning of The Whyte Review by Sport England and UK Sport, led by Anne Whyte QC.

Shortly after the revelations, Jane Allen, then CEO of British Gymnastics stepped down from her position in December 2020.

Olympic gymnast Jennifer Pinches, founder of the 2020 #GymnastAlliance movement and Community Director of Gymnasts for Change, said:

“For too long we have seen British Gymnastics prioritise podiums over people which has led to untold damage to the lives of young people. It is a heart-breaking truth to face, knowing the level of abuse that we and so many others were subjected to. This is just the beginning of the sweeping changes that we are demanding, and the justice that we will fight for.”

Sarah Moore, Partner at Hausfeld & Co LLP, said:

“We are proud to represent this group of courageous women advancing claims against British Gymnastics. No legal action can turn the clock back for those who have suffered harm, however, through this action we hope to assist the Claimants in bringing their voices together to gain redress at a personal level, and drive long-lasting change at the heart of British Gymnastics.

"Any sporting culture which normalises body-shaming amongst young children and fails to prioritise the physical and psychological well-being of those involved must be held to account.”

British Gymnastics has been approached for comment.