Jennifer Pinches facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jennifer Pinches |
|
|---|---|
| Full name | Jennifer Elizabeth Mary Pinches |
| Nickname(s) | Jenni |
| Country represented |  United Kingdom |
| Born | 25 May 1994 Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom |
| Height | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics |
| Club | City of Liverpool |
| College team | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Head coach(es) | Valorie Kondos-Field |
| Former coach(es) | Amanda Reddin, Claire Duffy |
| Music | Paint It Black |
| Retired | 2015 |
Jennifer McIlveen, born Jennifer Pinches on May 25, 1994, is a retired artistic gymnast from Great Britain. She was part of the British team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. After her Olympic career, she competed for the UCLA Bruins team in the United States.
In 2020, Jennifer became an important voice for making gymnastics safer for athletes. She co-founded a charity called Gymnasts for Change. This group works to make sure gymnasts are treated with respect and care.
Contents
Early Life and Gymnastics
Jennifer Pinches was born in Tunbridge Wells, England. She discovered her love for gymnastics when she was just six years old. She started training at a gym near Bristol.
By the age of nine, she was training at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre, a top training facility in the UK. At ten years old, she was already ranked as the best gymnast in her age group in Great Britain.
In 2005, a TV show called 'A Different Life' made an episode about her. In the film, she said, "My ultimate aim is to just be in the Olympics."
A year later, her family moved, and she joined the City of Liverpool Gymnastics Club. There, she trained with famous gymnasts like Beth Tweddle and Hannah Whelan.
Competing for Great Britain
Jennifer was a key member of the British national gymnastics team for many years. She competed in major events like the World Championships in 2010 and 2011. Her biggest dream came true when she was chosen for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
After the Olympics, Jennifer retired from elite gymnastics to focus on her schoolwork. In 2013, she moved to the United States to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She joined their famous gymnastics team, the UCLA Bruins.
Junior Career Highlights
In 2009, when she was still a junior gymnast, Jennifer competed in two big international events.
- At the European Youth Olympic Festival in Finland, she finished in tenth place in the all-around competition.
- At the Doha Gymnasiade in Qatar, she placed ninth in the all-around.
Senior Career Highlights
As a senior gymnast, Jennifer continued to achieve great things.
2010-2011: World Championships
In 2010, she represented Great Britain at the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The next year, she competed at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. In the team final, she helped the British team earn a strong fifth-place finish.
2012: The Road to the Olympics
The year 2012 was very important for Jennifer. She won the all-around title at the English Championships. She also helped the British team place fourth at the 2012 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
After several tough competitions that served as Olympic trials, Jennifer proved she was one of the best. She placed second in the all-around at the British Championships. Her amazing performances earned her a spot on the Olympic team.
The London 2012 Olympics
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in her home country, Jennifer helped the British team make it to the team finals. In the final, she competed on the vault, balance beam, and floor. The team finished in sixth place, a great achievement for Great Britain.
A few months later, Jennifer announced she was retiring from elite gymnastics in Great Britain.
College Gymnastics at UCLA
After taking a year off to finish school, Jennifer started a new chapter in her life at UCLA. She joined the UCLA Bruins team in 2013.
She had a great first year, competing on vault, floor, and balance beam. She was known for being a very consistent performer. During her first two seasons, she successfully completed 31 out of 32 routines.
In 2015, Jennifer had to medically retire from gymnastics because of wrist injuries. She stayed with the team as an undergraduate assistant coach for the 2016 season.
Making Gymnastics Safer
In 2020, Jennifer Pinches became a leader in a movement to improve the culture of gymnastics. After seeing the documentary film Athlete A, she worked with other British gymnasts to speak out. They wanted to stop unfair coaching practices and create a safer environment for all gymnasts.
She helped start a social media movement with the hashtag #GymnastAlliance. Gymnasts from all over the world used it to share their stories. They called for a new culture based on trust and respect, not fear.
This movement led British Gymnastics to start an independent investigation, known as the Whyte Review.
In December 2020, Jennifer co-founded the organization Gymnasts for Change. The group works to make sure that the health and happiness of gymnasts always come first.
Personal Life
In June 2021, Jennifer married her long-time boyfriend, James McIlveen. One of her bridesmaids was her UCLA teammate, Mikaela Gerber. She even appeared on a TV show called "Say Yes to the Dress - Lancashire" to pick out her wedding dress.
