The Game of Gymnastics

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with John Scallon, a former NCAA Division 1 pommel horse specialist at the University of Minnesota turned high school coach and app builder. John walks through his unusual path through the sport, the corporate detour that pulled him out of it, the moment that pulled him back in, and how all of that led to him building two gymnastics apps: First, a m...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with Omo, three time world medalist in DMT, World Games silver medalist in 2025, and the freshly crowned European Champion. Omo breaks down what DMT actually is, how he progressed from Acro at seven to the world stage by twelve, and how a last minute Cirque du Soleil setback ended up shaping his strongest competition to date. The conversation also d...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: In this solo episode, host Winston Powell breaks down the controversy sparked by new IOC president Kirsty Coventry after she said she does not believe Olympic medalists should receive direct prize money from the IOC. As a GB athlete himself, Winston walks through what Coventry actually said, the strongest arguments on her side, and why he firmly believes Olympic athletes deserve...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with a qualified aerobic gymnastics judge and current GB athlete who has represented the country at both World and European Championships. The conversation dives deep into one of gymnastics' lesser known disciplines, breaking down what aerobic gymnastics actually is, how it is judged, what training looks like, and the long, honest road from genuinel...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: In this solo episode, host Winston Powell pulls back the curtain on one of the least understood parts of the sport: how gymnasts actually learn skills. From the foundations and preps, through endless repetitions and combinations, to routine fitness and competing under pressure, Winston walks through the full journey a single skill takes before it ever appears in a routine, using...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with Roddy Mackay, an ex-GB gymnast from the late 80s and early 90s, former Gladiators contestant, ex-British freestyle skydiving champion, and now a gymnastics club owner and school coach in Newcastle. Roddy reflects on how the sport has transformed over the past 40 years, the foundations laid by John Atkinson that built modern British gymnastics,...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: In this solo episode, host Winston Powell breaks down what gymnastics actually teaches you, far beyond the skills, the scores, and the medals. Drawing on his own experience as a Senior GB gymnast and on recent conversations with guests like Bryony Page, Roddy Mackay, and Joe Fishburn, Winston explores the mental and personal lessons that gymnastics quietly builds into the people...

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with Zara Turton, the 2015 World Down Syndrome Rhythmic All-Around Champion, who has recently picked up tumbling alongside her rhythmic training and gone viral on Instagram with over 5 million views. This is a more light-hearted conversation than usual, covering Zara's gymnastics journey, her gymnastics family at City of Birmingham, her plans to sta...

Google Form: https://forms.gle/hbNgoCSsBPhQbJto7 ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell sits down with triple Olympic medalist Bryony Page to walk through her full Olympic journey, from missing out on London 2012 to winning silver in Rio, bronze in Tokyo, and finally gold in Paris. Bryony opens up about the hardest year of her life leading into Rio, the mindset shifts that turned her career around...

Google Form: https://forms.gle/hbNgoCSsBPhQbJto7 ABOUT THE EPISODE: Host Winston Powell takes on the five biggest misconceptions about gymnastics, from the idea that every gymnast must be ultra-flexible or built a certain way, to the stubborn belief that it's a girls' sport, to the assumption that success comes down to raw talent. Drawing on his own journey in the Senior Great Britain Squad and tr...

Episode Description In this episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston sits down with Bryony Page — triple Olympic medallist, world champion, and Olympic champion in trampoline gymnastics — to talk through her journey in the sport and what has kept her performing at the very highest level for so long. Bryony explains how she first got into gymnastics and trampoline, why the discipline appealed to...

Episode Description In this solo episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston opens up about a question that’s been on his mind throughout his career—and especially after recent competitions: “Am I actually good enough?” Reflecting on performances at the Welsh, English, and British Championships, Winston breaks down the disconnect between training and competition, and why it’s so frustrating to know...

Episode Description In this episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston sits down with Joe Fishburn — TeamGym European silver and bronze medallist, gymnastics coach, school speaker, and the ultimate male winner of Gladiators Season 2 — to talk about his journey through sport, performance, and adversity. Joe shares how he first got into gymnastics, why TeamGym became his discipline, and how a career...

Episode Description In this episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston reflects on his performance at the British Championships — a competition that didn’t go to plan, despite feeling more prepared going in. He breaks down each apparatus from the competition, highlighting the positives, the mistakes, and the fine margins that made the difference. From a strong vault and improved routines on pommel...

Episode Description In this episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston sits down with Leo Westbrook — athlete, coach, and self-proclaimed biggest fan of DMT — to shine a light on one of the most overlooked but exciting disciplines in gymnastics: Double Mini Trampoline. Leo talks through how he first got into gymnastics, why DMT grabbed his attention so early on, and what has kept him involved in t...

Episode Description In this solo episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston tackles one of the most debated questions in the sport: which apparatus is actually the hardest? Drawing on his experience as an elite gymnast, Winston breaks down each apparatus in men’s artistic gymnastics — floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar — exploring the different factors that make them dif...

Episode Description In this episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston sits down with parkour athlete, filmmaker, and STORROR Female Athlete of the Year Lisa Schneider to explore the world of parkour — from its roots in movement and creativity to the ongoing debate around competition and its inclusion under FIG. Lisa talks through her own journey from gymnastics and trampolining into parkour, how...

Episode Description In this episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston sits down with Jakub, the Parkour Sport Manager at World Gymnastics (formerly FIG), to unpack one of the most debated topics in modern gymnastics: why parkour now sits under the gymnastics umbrella — and where it’s heading next. They discuss how parkour became part of World Gymnastics, whether it was truly a “takeover,” and the...

Episode Description In this solo episode of The Game of Gymnastics, Winston breaks down his routines from the 2026 Welsh Championships — the first competition back following ankle surgery in November. Recorded as a reaction-style deep dive, Winston analyses all three routines (Pommel Horse, Parallel Bars, and High Bar) in detail, unpacking what went right, what went wrong, and what the scores don’...

Episode Description In part two of this interview, Winston continues his conversation with World Medallist Jaydon Paddock — diving into the emotional side of elite sport, his love for team competition, the unexpected moment at his black belt exam that ended in an ambulance, and his remarkable journey into the world of stunt work. Jaydon opens up about the highs and lows of competition, but also a...

Episode Description: In this episode, Winston sits down with Jaydon Paddock — a World and European champion in tumbling and one of the UK’s most dynamic athletes — to talk about his journey through elite competition, mindset under pressure, and what makes tumbling such a unique and brutal discipline. Jaydon opens up about growing up in the sport, transitioning from artistic and acro gymnastics int...

Episode Description In this episode, Winston returns with Part 2 of the Gymnastics Discipline Breakdown — diving into the final five of the disciplines under the World Gymnastics (FIG) governance. If you’ve ever wondered how trampoline and tumbling fit together, what makes parkour a gymnastics discipline, or how acrobatic gymnastics actually work in competition, this episode breaks it all down in...

Episode Description In this episode, Winston sits down with Luke Carson — former Irish international gymnast turned world-class coach — to talk about his incredible journey from self-coached athlete to Olympic coach of Rhys McClenaghan and founder of Origin Gymnastics. Luke shares how a short training stint in England turned into a five-year obsession with elite gymnastics, leading him to transiti...

Podcast Description In this solo episode, Winston breaks down the first three of the eight disciplines officially governed by World Gymnastics (formerly FIG):Gymnastics for All, Men’s Artistic Gymnastics (MAG), and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG). Whether you’re a gymnast, a coach, a parent, or a fan trying to make sense of all the apparatus, events, and scores — this is your ultimate beginner’s...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, Winston sits down with Polly Maggs — a multiple-time British Champion, European and World Championships competitor, and the first Acro gymnast to appear on the podcast. Polly shares her unique journey through Acrobatic Gymnastics, from teaching herself skills on the school field to competing for Great Britain on the world stage. As Winston’s girlfriend, this co...