Westminster first-year Sports Management BA Honours student Marfa Ekimova won gold in the Senior category at the London Rhythmic Gymnastics regional grades competition. Marfa is part of the University’s Elite Athlete Programme, which provides support to help student athletes perform at their very best.
On 2 March, Marfa kicked off the 2025 season with success at the London Rhythmic Gymnastics regional grades competition. Marfa has been training in gymnastics since she was six years old and has since represented Great Britain in Rhythmic Gymnastics at several competitions across the globe. In 2022, Marfa became the first English rhythmic gymnast to win a gold medal in the all-around at the Commonwealth Games.
Marfa is also part of Westminster’s Elite Athlete Programme (EAP), which provides high-performing student athletes with the support and resources to become the very best they can be. The EAP initiative offers a variety of benefits for students competing at a regional, national or international level, including financial support for competition and training costs, mentoring, physiotherapy, sports psychology and nutritional support.
The EAP reflects the University's Being Westminster 2022-2029 strategic priorities of wellbeing and inclusion by providing physical and emotional support for its student athletes and removing financial barriers that might hinder their success.
About the EAP Marfa said: “I am really grateful to be part of the Elite Athlete Programme and knowing that I have support when I need it.”
Phoebe Hayden, Sports Development Coordinator at Westminster, commented: “I am really proud to see our students excelling in sport alongside their studies. Being a student athlete is really tough, and all of them put an incredible amount of hard work in to achieve their goals. Marfa is an excellent asset to the EAP and Westminster as a whole, and I am looking forward to seeing her success for years to come.”
The EAP at Westminster directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about sports at the University of Westminster.
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