the Y
After two thwarted attempts to compete in the Olympics, Paris 2024 was when Australian gymnast and “Beam Queen” Emma Nedov’s childhood dream finally came to fruition at the age of 28.
Emma, who has had a lifelong connection with the Y, forged a remarkable comeback to make the team with only nine months of training under her belt, after a 3 ½ year break.
“It certainly felt like fulfilling a dream. I was very proud to be a part of the Australian team and walk around the village as an Olympian. In terms of the competition, it was a bit bittersweet for me. I had hoped to perform better. However, I was surprised to observe how emotional the whole experience was for me. I had a lump in my throat before walking out into the competition arena and I found the arrival home really emotional.”
In many ways Emma felt she was competing for both 2016 and 2020 as well as 2024 and all the people who had supported her journey along the way.
“For my comeback it took a whole team of people to support me in getting there. I had the motivation, but I wouldn’t have been able to follow through if I didn’t have some incredible people believing in my crazy dream and backing me up.”
Indeed, Emma’s journey to the Paris Olympics has been full of highs and lows – peaking with claiming the 2019 World Cup on the beam.
Some of the lows were not ending up being able to compete in 2016 or 2020 due to the Australian team not qualifying in 2016, and COVID interruptions to qualifying rounds in 2020.
Others included a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2017 and hormonal challenges after retiring in in 2020 that saw fluctuations in body shape, and not menstruating for two years.
But it was this scary hormonal roller coaster ride that led Emma to her current career coaching metabolic health and nutrition as a health and nutrition coach with Simplr Health.
In this role Emma is able to combine her interest in health and wellbeing with business, having already started up a gymnastics sports brand Artium Sport in 2018.
These experiences and learnings outside of gymnastics means Emma is ahead of many of her younger Olympics peers when it comes to trying to work out what to do with life post Olympics – although Emma’s she’s not ready to call time on her career just yet!
“I’ve learned so much more now about my body and mind and its potential that I’m kind of curious to see how much I can still improve, despite my age…”
Emma is also giving back to community and sport through the Y as a voluntary director with the Y in Whittlesea.
Emma’s Y journey first began at the age of 6 when she her mum took a protesting and crying young Emma to gymnastics at Epping YMCA where the tears instantly stopped when she entered the space and saw all the girls training. She trained there for 10 years, many of them with her younger sister Madeleine (pictured below).
Tips from Emma for young people on pursuing a dream
Emma has some advice to share with young people from her journey, about dreaming big and sticking with your dreams despite the inevitable “road bumps” and “hurdles along the way.
“I know it’s something of a cliché, but it really is true that it’s the journey that matters as much as the destination and it’s really important to enjoy it along the way.”
“And understand you might not get there immediately, or it might not happen when or how you expect it.”
“It’s almost like they’re designed to check if you’re willing to do what it takes to achieve your dream. Embrace all the challenges along the way because they make the opportunity that you’re going for worth it.”
“You’re more likely to succeed if you enjoy what you do.”
“I don’t believe anyone can truly do anything on their own.”