Year 9 pupil Rayyan selected for British Gymnastics 2025 Men's Artistic Development Programme

Year 9 pupil Rayyan has been selected for the 2025 Men's Artistic Development Programme with British Gymnastics - a national pathway designed to nurture future talent in the sport. This follows his impressive performance on the 2024 Men’s Artistic Foundation Programme.

Rayyan said: "With the intense training come long hours — I train after school every day for four hours, then a further six on Saturdays. This can get extremely tiring, but when it comes to competitions, the results we achieve often reflect the effort we put in during those tough training sessions. The feeling of competing and doing well is thrilling, and it makes all the hard work worth it — especially when there are opportunities to be selected for the GB squad. Since I spend more time at the gym than at school over the course of a year, I’ve made some really good friends who I travel, train, and compete with. That’s something special — not many people get the chance to fly to different places with their friends.

"As my training starts straight after school and lasts for four hours, most of my evening is taken up — so I have to make time for homework and revision to ensure I keep up with my studies in the lead-up to GCSEs. Now that I’m in year 9, I often work after training in the evenings — sometimes as late as 10pm — and then get to school by 8am to finish off work or revise. The workload has increased significantly this year, as I’ve moved into Middle School. With several days missed due to hockey tournaments, gymnastics competitions, and GB squad training, it’s important to use weekends to catch up on topics covered in class that I may have missed.

"At the beginning of March 2025, there are the English Championships, followed by the British Championships towards the end of the month. These are the biggest competitions of the year, and our club has been working towards them since the New Year. There is also a British Teams competition, where each club puts forward a team to compete against others, which takes place towards the end of the school year. Later in the year, we have the National Grades — an extremely important event, as the results determine whether you progress to the final stage of the GB selection process. The last competition of the year will hopefully be the Austria Future Cup — an international event where countries such as Japan, Australia, Poland, Belgium, France, Italy and many more compete in the Linz Arena in Austria."

He spoke about his intentions for the future: "My goal is to progress through the various GB squads. Each squad has its own kit and is eligible for different major international competitions, such as the Junior Olympics and Junior Euros. These competitions are open only to selected gymnasts from within the GB squad. Reaching this level would be a dream come true — and this year, the Junior Olympics are set to be held in the Philippines".

Progression from the Foundation to the Development Programme is highly competitive. For instance, in the Scottish Gymnastics performance programmes for 2024-25, only 51 men’s artistic gymnasts were selected after extensive experience days, highlighting the exclusivity and high standards required for advancement. Rayyan is one of six individuals in his age group competing at his level in gymnastics. He undergoes extensive training throughout the week, balancing rigorous academic studies at MGS with elite-level athletic performance. The Development Programme focuses on advanced technical, physical, and psychological preparation to meet the long-term demands of international gymnastics. Rayyan’s selection underscores his exceptional talent and dedication in his third year in the Senior School.

Well done, Rayyan from all at MGS – we look forward to following your continued success!