Olympian Mary-Anne Monckton teaches adult gymnastics, rediscovers the joy
Mary-Anne Monckton was reserve for the 2012 Olympics. Now she teaches adult gymnastics in Newcastle. She has rediscovered joy in the sport.
Mary-Anne Monckton started gymnastics at five in Newcastle. She was recognized as talented for the Australian Institute of Sport at seven.
Monckton trained 37 hours a week for eight years. She competed at ten Australian National Championships.
She also competed at three World Championships and the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She was reserve for the 2012 London Olympics.
An ACL tear in 2016 ended her competitive career. For years, Monckton struggled with her relationship to gymnastics.
She especially struggled after watching documentaries about abuse in elite sport during COVID lockdowns. She moved to Canada and discovered adult gymnastics classes.
These classes taught respect for athletes' bodies and choice. That rediscovery inspired her to launch CAPTivate Adult Gymnastics in Newcastle in July 2025.
The program now has 85 registered athletes across ten weekly classes. Classes are also opening in Barnsley.
- Age 5 at Lake Macquarie PCYC
- Started gymnastics
- Age 7
- AIS identification
- 37 hours per week for 8 years
- Training hours
- July 2025 in Newcastle
- CAPTivate launch
Why it mattersMonckton's story shows how elite athletes can heal from burnout. They do this by returning to sport on their own terms.
AustraliaNewcastle now has a dedicated adult gymnastics program run by an Olympic-level coach, giving locals access to quality training in a sport often seen as only for competitive children.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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