An Oxfordshire gymnastics coach who was barred by the sport’s governing body has finally departed from her leadership position at a local club.

Debra Courtenay-Crane has officially stepped down as a director of Bourton Gymnastics Club, having occupied the role since December 2024, according to official records.

Companies House documentation shows she ceased her directorial duties on Wednesday, March 25.

Sources indicated that the club informed parents of Mrs Courtenay-Crane’s administrative involvement at Bourton on a voluntary basis.

Club director Suzy Marshman clarified in January that Debra had no connection to Carterton Gymnastics Club, and while she submitted her resignation from Bourton in November 2025, she never actually coached or worked on-site at the Bourton facility. Bourton Gymnastics Club operates as a subsidiary location to the Carterton branch, where Mrs Courtenay-Crane remained a director until August 2025.

Her coaching career ended in July 2025 when British Gymnastics identified safeguarding concerns. She previously held the chief coach position at Carterton Gymnastics Club near Witney, having established the club approximately three decades prior.

Parents with children at Bourton reported receiving no communication about her departure from Carterton, with one expressing concern that management appeared to believe they could simply transfer her to Bourton without acknowledging the situation raised by British Gymnastics. Another parent questioned whether someone prohibited from coaching due to child safety risks should be permitted to establish another club in a similar setting.

A former student who trained under Mrs Courtenay-Crane in Carterton described experiencing humiliation during her years of participation in the 2000s. The individual, now twenty-five and requesting anonymity, explained that verbal abuse, physical handling, and humiliation became so routine she assumed such treatment was simply part of competitive gymnastics. She added that even as an adult, she continues to struggle considerably with anxiety about errors and remains uncertain whether she will fully recover from these experiences.

Mrs Courtenay-Crane has not issued any public statement regarding these matters despite being approached for comment.

A decorated coach from Oxfordshire, she received the southern region honour at the BBC Sports Personality Unsung Hero Awards in 2019. She has guided thousands of young people throughout a career spanning more than three decades while also developing a thriving adult programme.