Joanna Middleton

Joanna Middleton - a young gymnast

Do you have to train a lot, Joanna?
Yes! I usually get up at 6 o'clock and go running. I don't run with my friends. It's great to have some time to myself in the morning. After that, I have breakfast. Then Dad takes me to the gym. I train for 20 hours over six days and rest on Sunday. l often spend full days at the gym. I do different things there.
Sometimes I dance or do other exercises. I like it because every day there's something different to do.

Is it difficult to do your school work as well?
Yes, it is. My teachers are lovely and they know the situation. It's true that l'm not at school every day. But I try to do as much work as I can. I'm sad that I can't spend more time with my classmates. They're fun.

What do you do in your free time?
I love being with my family. My brother also does sport - for him it's football - but we both have Sunday afternoons free.
So we often go for picnics with Mum and Dad in the mountains near my home. We also like watching TV together, and of course, I always have homework to do.

Tell us more about the things you like.
My friends and I like shopping! I live in a village, so I get the bus to town and meet them there. Then we visit our favourite shops and we usually have a hot chocolate.