Alice Kinsella on her Commonwealth success

Talking to brand ambassador, Alice Kinsella, about her Commonwealth Games and European Championships successes.

Ahmad Tea has been working with Alice Kinsella, elite gymnast and our global brand ambassador for two years. In that time she has won a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, two gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and two silver medals at the 2022 European Championships in Munich.  We caught up with her to find out what her secret for success is and what we can learn from her experiences.

Ahmad Tea: Firstly, huge congratulations on winning two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and two silver medals at the European Championships. How does it feel?

Alice: It’s like a dream come true. At the Commonwealth Games, not everything went to plan though, I had rolled on my ankle a month before the competition and as I had won gold on beam in the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in 2018, I was expecting to win a medal on the beam again. However, it just didn’t work out that way. I had a really great start at the Commonwealth Games and a fantastic finish and I’m so proud of myself coming away with two gold medals. Every time when something didn’t go to plan, I just had to put it behind me and use it to motivate myself to put everything into my next performance. I’m also very proud of winning two silver medals at the European Championships.

Ahmad Tea: How does it feel to compete in front of crowds again?

Alice: It is amazing, it’s so much better. It’s an incredible feeling hearing your name being shouted and knowing that there are people there willing you on. It’s incredible having my coach with me too who was able to calm me down, remain focused and support me. 

Ahmad Tea: What have you learnt from the Olympics that helped you in the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships?

Alice: My main learning from the Olympics was to stay calm and not to get too stressed. As a gymnast there are lots of things you can’t control so you just need to remain focused on what you can. Visualisation has really helped me in the run up to competitions too and also sometimes limiting looking at social media. Sometimes there is so much love and support on social media and sometimes I just know to steer clear. 

Ahmad Tea: How was your experience at the European Championships?

Alice: It felt good. I loved performing my routines and I’m so proud of winning two silver medals. I also loved competing with different teams too.  

Ahmad Tea: What advice would you give your teenage self?

Alice: Honestly, I can’t believe I’ve achieved so much so my advice would be to keep believing in yourself, never give up, put yourself first and enjoy the journey. 

Everyone at Ahmad Tea has loved seeing Alice blossom as a gymnast and we are so proud of her successes. From all the Ahmad Tea fans around the world, congratulations.