Pictures: Phillip Castleton
She might be almost the tallest and oldest artistic gymnast competing in Paris, but for Georgia-Rose Brown, all that matters is that she’s finally living her childhood dream of taking part in the Olympic Games!
It’s been a long time coming for the 1.73m-tall 29-year-old, who started gymnastics when she was just five years old. She’s competed at six world championships and two Commonwealth Games. However, she missed out on qualifying for the Olympics by narrow margins in both 2012 and 2021. A bitter pill to swallow, but these setbacks only fuelled her determination.
“It’s important to accept that you’re not going to make it every time,” Georgia-Rose tells Woman’s Day. “Those experiences made me stronger and more focused on my goals. I found missing out helpful because it made me reevaluate where I was sitting and what I was doing. It really made me commit to the sport and kept me interested. And now here I am, 12 years later, finally going to the Olympics!”
Born in Brisbane and based in Melbourne, Georgia-Rose was wearing green and gold when she won her three Commonwealth medals – two silvers and a bronze. However, she’s since switched her allegiance to New Zealand in honour of her Kiwi mother.
“I’ve had the opportunity to represent my dad’s side by competing for Australia. Now I’m happy to represent my mum’s side too,” she explains. Georgia adds that she’s proud to wear Aotearoa’s colours on her self-designed leotard.
“It’s black and silver, with a lot of sparkles – I just love it! Gymnastics definitely allows for more flair and personality in the leotards, makeup and hair these days, although I can’t wear my hair out like some girls because it just distracts me.”
Lots of things have changed in the sport since Georgia-Rose first started. For example, most gymnasts were considered to have peaked by 16 or 17. But global star Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, will be 26 when she competes at her third Olympics in Paris.
“I met her at the World Champs back in 2014,” recalls Georgia-Rose. “She was really nice, funny, friendly and bubbly. It’s been cool to see how far she’s come since then.
“It also goes to show that the longevity of the sport is increasing. It’s becoming more of a woman’s sport than a girl’s sport.”
As she’s got older, Georgia-Rose says she’s been able to refine her training, doing fewer hours but making it count. She used to train 32 hours a week when she was younger. Now, she’ll spend just 15 to 20 hours in the gym, conditioning and working on her routines.
Somehow Georgia-Rose manages to balance her rigorous training schedule with academic pursuits. She completed her Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2020 and is currently in her final year of a Master of Physiotherapy degree at the University of Melbourne. In addition to her studies, she co-founded Artium Sport with one of her training partners. The business designs sleek and functional kit bags for athletes.
“It’s nice to have something on the side that complements what we do,” she says. “And for selfish reasons, it’s good to have a nice bag to put all my training gear in!”
After years of driving Georgia-Rose to training and competitions, the gymnast hopes her parents, chiropractors Mark and Maria, will be able to make it to Paris to cheer her on.
“I’m one of six siblings, so it’s a bit contentious about who exactly will be able to come along,” she laughs, noting that gymnastics is one of the most popular sports at every Olympic Games, perhaps due to the novelty value.
She explains, “It’s amazing and incredible, but it’s not as relatable as tennis, soccer or golf – not everyone can just give gymnastics a go or jump up and do a backflip! It’s a stunning sport to watch. I really love that it’s such a unique sport that not everyone can do. For me, swinging on bars is such a freeing feeling.”
Despite her height, the uneven bars is Georgia-Rose’s best event, but her main goal is simply to have a successful competition in which she nails her routines across all the disciplines.
“I’m so excited to immerse myself in the whole Olympic experience,” she enthuses “It’s been a long road to get here and I just want to perform well, live through every moment and take it all in. I’ve never been to Paris in the summer, so that’s exciting. I want to see the Eiffel Tower twinkle!”
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