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“I was very proud”: How Pink Leisurewear athlete Mercedes Moore overcame injuries to secure her England squad place
For most athletes, the journey to the top is filled with challenges. For Mercedes, those challenges came with three serious foot injuries, lockdown, long periods of training alone and shattered dreams during Commonwealth Games trials.
Yet, throughout it all, Mercedes kept going.
Where it all began
The 20-year-old gymnast started the sport when she was six-years-old and quickly developed a passion for the sport.
She made the leap to South Durham Gymnastics Club shortly after, where she completed her compulsory grades and qualified for her first British Championships.
It was there that Mercedes began to show the nation how much potential she has.
Mercedes managed to place fourth overall, also reaching the uneven bar and vault finals. She won bronze on vault and was able to finish fourth on bars, despite a fall.
Her performances earned her a place on the England squad, as well as a reserve spot for Great Britain’s Junior squad.
“My coach pulled me in the office, and I was expecting a normal conversation, but she told me I made England squad and I was like me?”
When lockdown changed everything
Mercedes attended every squad training in 2019 and was preparing for the next round of Home Nations when the Covid-19 pandemic changed everything.
Despite being selected to represent Great Britain in Portugal and Germany in 2020, a lockdown meant she was unable to compete.
Her gymnastics journey took another unexpected turn when a coaching change saw Mercedes move to Leeds Gymnastics Club.
As national team members were allowed to continue training under the changing lockdown restrictions, Mercedes found herself in a very different training environment.
“I was the only girl training at the time, and I didn’t have anyone to speak to.
“I trained by myself until the end of lockdown and then everyone obviously joined, but I didn’t know anybody there.”
When competition finally returned, the British Championships were rearranged for November 2021. Mercedes finished tenth overall, earning herself another opportunity to represent Great Britain, this time in France.
Commonwealth Games 2022
Following a successful return to international competition and a long period of settling into her new club, Mercedes made the decision to return to her previous club as she set her sights on the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Everything seemed to be falling into place – until it wasn’t.
“I went down to England training camp at Lilleshall in May and everything was running very smoothly until I got to floor – I did a tumble and landed short on my toes.
“It was a freak accident, now that I’m thinking about it, that would never happen now.”
She broke three bones and suffered a Lisfranc fracture in her foot. The injury was missed in two X-rays and only picked up four weeks later during an MRI scan, meaning her Commonwealth Games journey was over.
Facing another setback and rebuilding confidence
“I had to rebuild everything after surgery, so we’re in 2023 and I only competed bars at the English Championships, but I came ninth and I was so proud of myself.”
But once again, Mercedes was dealt another setback.
At the end of April, she tore a ligament in her right foot after landing awkwardly on the floor beam.
She was forced to spend more time away from the apparatus and didn’t return to full training until June.
“I had mental blocks on everything when I came back, because I’d just got back to it and then I had another setback.”
For a sport that relies heavily on mental resilience, Mercedes found that rebuilding her confidence after repeated injuries was as difficult as rebuilding physical strength.
On her second return to competition, Mercedes managed to finish second overall at the Welsh Championships.
She was able to qualify for the British Championships and arrived in Liverpool feeling confidence after a strong run of training.
“My first piece at the British was vault, so I did one vault and went over to do the second, but my hand slipped and I came crashing down.”
The result was another devastating foot injury – this time a tear to two of the major ligaments.
International success and a new chapter
After having to leave for an X-ray during the competition, Mercedes believed the odds of a squad selection weren’t in her favour.
“I didn’t know if I was going to make it because I didn’t compete at the British and normally that’s a requirement.
“I remember asking my coach if the squads had been announced but she didn’t know anything yet.
“She called me over as soon as she got them and she had that look on her face, when it’s not good news, but she was pranking me.
“I looked on her phone and my name was at the top of the list for England squad – I was so proud of myself.”
That moment became another chapter in a journey that has been defined not by the injuries, but by the determination Mercedes showed every time she had to start again.
In 2024, she was selected to represent England at the Northern European Championships, where she earned a silver medal on uneven bars.
Following a successful year, she made another big decision – continuing her gymnastics journey at Notts Gymnastics Academy alongside her university studies.
Just one month after joining the club, Mercedes was part of the bronze-medalling team at the British Club Team Championships.
Her success continued into 2026.
Following strong performances, she has also represented Nottingham Trent University at British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), finishing third overall, third on beam and taking home the beam title.
For Mercedes, the journey has been anything but straightforward. There have been injuries, disappointment and uncertainty, but instead of walking away she kept coming back.
Mercedes began her Pink Leisurewear journey as a model more than ten years ago. Since then, we have had the privilege of watching her grow, both as a personal and as an athlete, and supporting her all the way to the top.
