Meet FRÉ Ambassador Rachael Rollisson, British Jump Rope Champion & Former World Record Holder

@jumpropesisters

About me: Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in Redditch Worcestershire, and I still live here. I’m very sporty and love staying fit. Between me and my sister, I’m the bossy one.

My fitness journey

I'm the younger sister by 11 months, and I discovered jump rope thanks to my sister Beci. We had a teacher at school who was best friends with the person who started competitive jump rope in the USA. Beci joined our school’s jump rope club when she was 8 and I joined soon after. Initially, we did it just for fun and to learn skills. Then, we were invited to the European championships, and that same year the world championships in St. Louis, but we came in last. My mom is a professional show jumper, and after the championships, she took us aside and asked if we wanted us to compete professionally or just for fun. We decided to compete professionally and our mom started to help coach the team and upped our training. We trained 5-6 days a week for 2-3 hours each day. We competed again in 2002 and this time we came in first.

My sister and I have competed together since I was 9 and she was 10. We were always together and we always had the same mentality. In British championships with singles, we were happy as long as one of us won, keeping it in the family. The rest of the time we competed as a team and were very good with teamwork. We didn't really argue. We are both very competitive, but we had to work together.

Career highlights

• In 2002, when we won the world championships, I was 12. This was basically the start of our career.
• In 2012, during the London Olympic basketball games, we performed the halftime shows in front of massive crowds for three weeks.
• In 2014, I was asked to go on a show called Get Your Skills On. It was a kids tv show, and I was asked to be a presenter and show off my jump rope skills. This led to an amazing nine months working with Nickelodeon.

Becoming a world record holder

My sister initially broke the Guinness World Record for speed, and then she broke her leg. She planned to try again, but because of her injury she couldn’t do it. So they thought it would be cool if her younger sister could do it! I went on the Blue Peter show and ended up with the exact same speed as my sister, so we were tied as Guinness World Record Holders.

Fitness tip

Find an activity or sport that you find fun. I don't enjoy running. I tried to push myself to run and it didn't work for me. It’s so important to find something that you enjoy. Don’t force yourself to do things just to keep fit.

It’s so important to find an activity that you enjoy.

Health challenges

I’ve had ulcerative colitis since I was 10 years old. During a flare up, I would lose weight and lack energy, but my team was always very understanding. When I was in remission, I was on steroids and would put on weight and have lots of energy. I was sick off and on throughout my years competing. It was hard to maintain my practice and routine. My doctor also warned me that at a high level I wouldn't be able to take the medicine I needed. I stopped competing for these health reasons six years ago. Right now, I’m on a monthly infusion, which leaves me feeling very tired. Beci also stopped competing 6 years ago and started a family. Now, the two of us are very focused on coaching.

Skincare

My skin is dry and quite sensitive, because of the medication I take. Before I started my current meds, I didn’t do much for my skin. These days, I have a consistent routine with FRÉ which has done wonders for my skin and stopped it from being so dry. In the evening, I take off all my makeup with remover, then I cleanse with PURIFY ME, then I tone and moisturize. In the morning, I cleanse with PURIFY ME and moisturize with REVIVE ME. REVIVE ME is my favorite FRÉ, because my skin is so dry. I also found that strong moisturizers overwhelmed my skin, but moisturizers that weren't strong enough would leave me with dry skin. REVIVE ME is a serum that is just right for me.

I have a consistent routine with FRÉ which has done wonders for my skin and stopped it from being so dry.

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise? Jump rope
• What does sweat mean to you? Getting fit
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ? Moisturize
• What are you most excited about in life right now? Christmas
• What’s something you’d still love to learn? Skiing
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be? #jumprope
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life? Pain is just weakness leaving the body.
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often? Invisible illnesses
• What are your dreams for the FRÉ community? On a personal level, promoting it more within the skipping rope community! Getting more people to know what FRÉ is about and how it has helped me.