Scottish gymnast Lottie Smith has conquered a series of mental hurdles to secure her place on the Team Scotland squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 25-year-old, originally from Stamford but with Shetland Islands heritage, was officially named to the team, marking a home Games debut.
Overcoming Mental Blocks
Smith has been candid about her ongoing struggle with a backwards acrobatics series on the balance beam, her favoured apparatus. Despite winning bronze at the 2025 British Championships, she admits the challenge persists. "I have mental blocks on beam, so I've struggled a lot in the years and trying to overcome that," she said. "It meant that British Champs was a really emotional moment as it felt like everything had been worth it. I have seen a lot of psychologists about it, but it is about trusting the process and being not so hard on myself."
Her openness aims to normalise the barriers elite athletes face, echoing Simone Biles' experience with the 'twisties' at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Smith believes such conversations are crucial for the sport.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Working as a gymnastics teacher and coach, Smith uses her own journey to help young athletes. "It is not really normalised and I feel like we don't really hear or see of other people," she explained. "When Simone's Tokyo Olympics happened that was quite eye-opening for everyone and helped show what we deal with, so it was really inspiring to watch."
She added, "I coach the younger ones, and it sounds ridiculous, but it does help me. Some of them struggle going backwards on beam as well, and it is quite reassuring that it's not just me. And I guess for them, they see that I go through it, so they trust in me, and I guess they're a little bit inspired as well."
Team Scotland's Veteran
Having started gymnastics at age two, Smith will be the eldest member of a youthful Scotland team. She hopes to emulate Shannon Archer, who won vault bronze at Birmingham 2022, becoming the first Scottish female gymnast to secure an individual artistic medal. Smith embraces her role as the team's "big sister and mum," aiming to foster camaraderie. "To be honest, I don't really notice the age, but I probably am the mother of the group," she said. "I really want to make the most of the opportunity. You are not just one performance, and we all know the hard work that we put into getting here so whatever happens on the day, I want us to just be there for each other and make memories that last a lifetime."
Follow Team Scotland's journey at Glasgow 2026 on Instagram at @team_scotland.
