DMU grad is helping to change the face of British Gymnastics

Landing a job with British Gymnastics has placed a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate in prime position to help reshape the sport’s culture, following the recent Whyte Review.

Anna (centre front) at the World Gymnastics Championships

Anna Frelich is working as a British Gymnastics course organiser for coaches at high performance levels, just six months after the governing body made national headlines in June, when the independent review exposed the widespread abuse of athletes.

The 23-year-old from Poland, who graduated from DMU’s Sport Management MSc this year, said: “I’ve joined the organisation at a very difficult yet exciting time. We’re dealing with the aftermath of the Whyte Review, which includes making big changes to shift the culture.

“My role within the organisation’s education department has a big part to play in this, as I’m directly involved in providing coaches and judges with the training they need to evolve.

“In the past our training and assessments were centralised, but now we’re making them more accessible by hosting them all over the country. There are a lot of needs we have to consider, from coaches requiring continuous training to Olympics judges needing to revalidate every four years.

“I feel like I’ve made a good start and I’m lucky to have a supportive manager who’s helped me to settle into my role.”

With her DMU lecturer Sally Skea at Birmingham Diamond League

Anna’s biggest highlight of the job so far was attending the World Gymnastics Championships, held in Liverpool in November, as an anti-doping and medical manager.

Her role included supporting the team’s needs, from guiding them around the venue and filling out forms to arranging access to athletes and ensuring they had transportation back to their accommodation.

“Although I work in the education department of British Gymnastics, I’m really eager to get involved in events where I can, and I’m lucky that my manager agrees that they’re great opportunities for me to develop different skills,” she said.

“The build-up to the championships was very intense. We worked long, hard days to prepare the venue, but seeing it all come together was so rewarding. Also, to be at our home championships with the British team, which won six medals, was such a great experience for me.”

Before undertaking her master’s, the DMU Business Management and Human Resource Management BA (Hons) graduate had no previous experience of working in sports. As a keen horse rider, Anna just knew that she wanted to forge a career that reflected her passion.

The range of industry opportunities available through DMU’s Sport Management MSc is what cemented Anna’s decision. As well as volunteering at big sporting events such as the Birmingham Diamond League and Nottingham Open, Anna also undertook valuable internships.

Volunteering at the Nottingham Open tennis tournament

For the fieldwork experience during her master’s course, Anna gained experience in media and sponsorship with the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association, analysing the media coverage of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and presenting the data to future sponsors.

In addition, for her final project Anna had the chance to work with Tennis Leicestershire on sponsorship issues, including how they could improve their offer and attract more sponsors.

She said: “There’s big value in the practical opportunities we had on the course. My volunteering and field work gave me valuable experience at both national and local levels, which in turn helped me to find a job in an area that I was interested in.

“Also, the engagement of our lecturers Heather Dichter and Sally Skea really made the course. They both have such different backgrounds offering unique insights, and they supported us every step of the way to succeed in the industry.”

Dr Heather Dichter, programme leader for DMU’s Sport Management MSc, said: “The course provides numerous opportunities for students to gain experience within the industry, and we were pleased to see Anna take advantage of so many of the events available to her during her studies.

“These experiences really prepared her to be successful in securing her position with British Gymnastics, even before she had finished her final project.”