Ryan retires

12:00pm Sunday 14th December 2008

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Commonwealth Games medalist Ryan Bradley has brought the curtain down on his glittering gymnastics career after his Olympic dream was scuppered due to injury.

The 24-year-old former Ellowes Hall student made the difficult decision to retire after failing to make it to the Beijing Games following yet another injury setback.

The borough sporting star, who has been blighted with injury and illness, had set his sights on bowing out on the Olympic stage but after it was clear a persistent shoulder problem would keep him out of the Great Britain team he decided to call it a day following plenty of soul searching.

He said: “The initial decision to retire was probably the hardest, but looking back I have no regrets.

“My ambition was always to get to the Olympics but once that opportunity had gone due to injury I thought it was now the right time to stop.

“It’s a decision I had been mulling over since last December when I had to have an operation on my shoulder, which I was warned at the time could be career threatening.

“The damage was not as bad as first thought so I decided to give it one last chance but after yet more injury problems and the realisation that my Olympic dream was over it was time to pack in.

“To be honest I’m now as happy as I have ever been and it’s a lovely feeling to get out of bed in the morning and be able to walk without any pain.”

Bradley took up the sport aged two and was competing for the Earls Gymnastics Club in Halesowen, by the time he was seven and it wasn’t long before he was winning titles.

He became a national squad gymnast aged eight, and an international competitor for Great Britain at 13.

Career highs include him being crowned British champion on five occasions as well as finishing fifth in the European Championships.

His most recent success was a bronze medal for England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

He added: “It’s certainly been a rollercoaster of a career but there have been plenty of highlights.

“The highest pinnacle was my bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

“I had come through a lot of injuries to get there so to be standing on the podium representing the England team and with thousands cheering us on was incredible.

“It was also special to see my mom there in the crowd because without her help as well, as the support of the rest of my family, this achievement would never have been possible.

“My career also gave me the chance to travel the world, experiencing many cultures, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

The 24-year-old has no plans to walk away from the sport and he has taken up a role as coach at Earls Gymnastics Club, while also running his own business, gym4kidz, which teaches gymnastics within local primary schools.

He added: “ I’m now looking to pass on all my knowledge and experience to the gymnasts of tomorrow and put back something into a great sport, as well as encouraging youngsters to become more active and live a healthier life.”