Volunteers’ Week 2025 | Izzy Coutts
Having just turned 16, Izzy Coutts is thriving as both a tumbling gymnast and judge. Celebrations last year after her victory in the morning at the 2024 Trampoline, DMT & Tumbling Championships in the Regional 1 13+ Women’s Category were delayed due to judging at the competition in the afternoon. While this busy schedule might rattle the nerves of many, Izzy takes it in her stride. She said:
“It was crazy having to go between both, but I really enjoy it. It was good because when I was competing it meant I had something else to think about because I knew I was judging in the afternoon. I do think it helps me in the sense that I’m not just thinking about performing. It takes some of the stress away in terms of competing.”
Izzy’s mum, Val said
“It was a tight turnaround. Izzy had five minutes for some food and to change into her judging clothes.”
Izzy’s gymnastics journey began at the age of seven. Initially a dancer, Izzy enjoyed the gymnastics elements of the training and subsequently trialed for West Dumbartonshire Gymnastics Club. She competed as a women’s artistic gymnast until she was 12, when she made the switch to tumbling. She will be competing at the Trampoline, Tumbling and DMT Inter-Regional Final 2025 in Birmingham later this year following the aforementioned victory last year.
Izzy began volunteering as a judge last year aged 14. She said:
“I started judging because my club asked me to do it and also thought it would be good because it helps me a lot with my own skills. I know what judges are looking for at competition, so it helps me know what to do when I’m performing.”
Explaining how proud she is of Izzy excelling as both a gymnast and a judge, Val said:
“What people don’t see though is Izzy is autistic and she has a Tourette’s diagnosis as well. The fact that she does it all is just amazing. She is also sitting her National 5 exams, so all of that on top of being a teenager is a lot. If we didn’t have gymnastics, I don’t know what we would do. It’s just the best thing and gives Izzy something to focus on.”
Not content with being a great gymnast and judge, Izzy is also a brilliant mathematician. She believes this helps her when she is judging.
“You need to be able to count the scores up and count all your deductions up quickly so you can type it in. If you aren’t able to do it quickly then the competition would take much longer.”
Chiming in, Val said “If you want somebody to do something with numbers then Izzy is your person.”
Despite the initial nerves, Izzy’s favourite judging memory is the first competition she judged at.
“I was really scared because it was my first time ever judging. I had no clue what was going to happen. But when I got there, it went great, and I fitted in well. It felt really good when I was doing it.”
Alongside judging improving her own tumbling and helping her understand what judges are looking for when she competes, Izzy enjoys judging the young gymnasts from her club. She said:
“I love watching the little ones, I just think it’s so cute judging them. I also like judging the gymnasts who are doing the harder skills as well.”
Looking to the future, Izzy has set sights on moving through the judging levels as well as gaining her coaching qualifications.
Feeling inspired by Izzy’s story? Find out how to begin your gymnastics judging journey below.