Being an Olympic gymnast and becoming a mom! Two beautiful dreams, but sometimes you can’t hold them both at once. Both take everything you’ve got! Your time, your energy, your body, your heart. And now and then, life gently puts you at a crossroads. For a 31-year-old German gymnastics star, that moment has come. But not in heartbreak. In perfect timing.

After ten World Championships. Three Olympic Games. Seven Olympic finals. A European Champion. A World Cup medalist. Germany’s record holder. From the outside, it looks like a career wrapped in gold and planned to perfection. And maybe it was. Because just as she takes her final bow from elite competition, she steps into something even more extraordinary. Elisabeth Seitz!

The German gymnastics record champion is surprisingly ending her career at the European Championships in her home country. There’s a good reason for this. Surprise at the European Gymnastics Championships in Leipzig: Elisabeth Seitz, the German record champion, has announced she’s stepping away from competitive gymnastics. The 31-year-old from Stuttgart shared the news on Instagram in the most heartfelt way.

She posted a beautiful video showing all the highs and lows of her gymnastics journey, with an emotional voiceover. She wrote, “It’s been a journey of ups and downs, of dreams, hard work, tears, and endless passion. I got to experience things I only dreamed of as a little girl.” It’s a powerful moment for fans who have followed her incredible career.

 She created the “Seitz” skill, a full-twisting Maloney transition, which puts her in a special category of gymnasts with their own named moves. Plus, she’s one of the few women who can pull off the Def, a full-twisting Gienger release. Even though she’s done competing, her love for gymnastics isn’t going anywhere. She said, “Even though I’m no longer active on the equipment, my passion for gymnastics remains unbroken!”

Now, she’s planning to run training camps, give motivational talks, and share everything she’s learned with young athletes and anyone looking for inspiration. She faced some serious lows but still gave it her all. And now, she’s ready for her biggest adventure yet: motherhood. She’s expecting her little miracle at the end of this year and is excited about what’s to come.

She gave a shoutout to everyone who stood by her—family, friends, coaches, sponsors, and the German Bundeswehr—and signed off with, “Thank you, gymnastics. You’ll always be a part of me ❤️.” Alongside her long-term partner, basketball player Nils Heyden, Elisabeth is stepping into this new chapter with excitement and gratitude. What makes her story even more inspiring is how she never gave up, even during the toughest times. Remember 2023?

The gymnastics queen who never backed down from the brink

Elisabeth Seitz isn’t just any gymnastics star; she’s a powerhouse with 26 German national titles under her belt, making her the most successful in the country’s history. But did you know her journey wasn’t smooth at all? In 2023, she tore her Achilles tendon during training—yep, a tough break that not only kept her out of the World Championships but also dashed her dreams of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

She also missed last year’s European Championships in Rimini and this year’s event in Leipzig because of a shoulder injury. Instead of rushing into surgery, she’s all about rehab and rebuilding, planning to decide if she’ll continue competing after finishing her Bundeswehr training this April. But the setbacks don’t stop there.

Early 2025 brought another blow: a partial tear in her shoulder’s supraspinatus tendon forced her to withdraw from the European Championships held right at home in Leipzig. Despite her best efforts to bounce back, this injury ultimately led her to retire in May 2025. And this wasn’t her first rodeo with injuries. Back in 2018, abdominal pain sidelined her for three months, causing her to miss the European Championships.

Plus, between 2010 and 2017, she faced not one, not two, but four foot surgeries, each time coming back stronger than before. Now that she’s hung up her leotard, this gymnastics star, Elisabeth, can finally catch her breath. Even though she’s stepping away from competition, her legacy as Germany’s most decorated gymnast will inspire future generations.