Gymnasts Ellie and Becky Downie: ‘MBEs show speaking out was right thing to do’

Elissa Downie (Ellie Downie, left) and Rebecca Downie (Becky Downie) after being made Members of the Order of the British Empire during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Gymnasts Becky and Ellie Downie have said being appointed MBEs after speaking publicly about abuse in the sport has shown they “100% did the right thing”.

Ellie, 24, retired at the age of 23 because of concerns about her mental health and the way she was treated in the sport.

The sisters were recognised for their services to the sport of gymnastics and also for their services to gymnasts at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on Wednesday.

Speaking about the honour, Ellie said: “It definitely makes it feel that we 100% did the right thing, and we’re pushing the sport in the right direction.

“I’m a year post-retirement, I definitely wasn’t expecting anything to come like this.

“Now that we’ve done the ceremony and got the award in our hands, it’s definitely mind-blowing and an honour to be recognised in such a remarkable way.

“Speaking out was a hard thing for us to do and say what we needed to say.

“To make everybody feel like they have a voice in this world is super important.”

Becky, 32, said the pair spoke to the Princess Royal during the ceremony about how they got into the sport before she wished them both luck.

“This (MBE) is something that is forever and that means more than any medal could,” she continued.

“It still feels a bit surreal, to be honest. Just a massive honour.”

Since her retirement, Ellie has been working as a personal trainer and Pilates instructor.

Elissa Downie (Ellie Downie, left) and Rebecca Downie (Becky Downie) after being made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire — Ellie Downie, left, and Becky Downie after being made Members of the Order of the British Empire during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“I’m very much loving the job that I have now,” she said.

“I just love to kind of give back to people and make them feel good in themselves and I know that exercise is such an important thing for your mental health as well.”

Becky is preparing for the Paris summer Olympics, in what she said will probably be her last year in the sport.

She said: “I’m in the thick of competitions and trials, I’m pleased with where training is at and I’m excited to see what the rest of the year has in store.

“This year is highly likely to be my final year.

“I’ve been striving for a medal for my whole career. So that would be the icing on the cake.”

Fellow recipients included renowned space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who was made a DBE.

Dame Margaret Aderin-Pocock after being made a Dame Commander of the British Empire during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The co-host of the BBC programme The Sky At Night said it was beyond her “wildest dreams” to be made a dame for services to science education and to diversity.

She said she had discussed the “challenge of getting more diversity” in the science sector with Anne during the ceremony.

“I reckon if I can do this, what can those kids out there do… you end up in fantastic places,” Dame Aderin-Pocock said.

Asked about what progress has been made so far, the 55-year-old said: “Things are getting better, but it’s happening too slowly.

“For science to really thrive, we need more diversity. We need sort of different cultures, different genders, just different people from many, many different areas coming together and sharing ideas, because that’s what makes things progress faster.”

Dame Aderin-Pocock said the animated children’s television series The Clangers had first triggered her interest in space, so much so that she brought her own knitted toy Clanger with her.

She said: “Those little pink creatures that live out in space sort of inspired me as a child.

Dame Margaret Aderin-Pocock (2nd right) poses for a photograph with her daughter Lori (right), husband Dr Martin Pocock (2nd left) and mother Carol Phillips (left) after being made a Dame Commander of the British Empire during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire — Dame Margaret Aderin-Pocock, second right, with her daughter Lori (right), husband Dr Martin Pocock (second left) and mother Carol Phillips (left) at Windsor Castle (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“But also, I’ve been very lucky to have inspirational parents who encouraged me to push myself.”

Dame Aderin-Pocock said one of the highlights of her career was when a talk she did on space encouraged a school child to begin speaking in class for the first time.

She said: “Once I did speak at a school where there was a child who didn’t sort of verbalise, didn’t speak to anyone, and I gave a talk about sort of a tour of the universe.

“I got an email a few days later saying that, for the first time, the child had asked a question about how galaxies collide.”

“Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) plays a vital role in all our lives and we saw that through Covid.”

Dame Aderin-Pocock added: “Stem is just fantastic. We’re discovering things that we would have never thought possible… looking at planets going around the stars we see in the night sky, looking for signs of life out there.

“But to get the next step we need these kids to come join us.”