Team GB gymnast Ellie Downie has encouraged people in need to seek therapy after being helped by a counsellor following the sudden death of her brother.

Ellie said her world was 鈥渇lipped upside down鈥� when her brother Josh died last year from a cardiac arrest while playing cricket. Josh was 24 and had an undiagnosed heart condition.

Ellie opened up about taking the first step to see a counsellor and encouraged other people to seek therapy.

鈥淚t flipped my world upside down,鈥� said Ellie, who has won 10 European Championship medals and winner of two World Championship bronze medals.

鈥淚t was quite hard to admit to myself that I needed to see somebody.

鈥淣ow that I鈥檝e started seeing one it really doesn鈥檛 feel like that big a deal.

Get help

鈥淚f you need to go and talk to someone, if you need to get help, then go get it.鈥�

Ellie added: 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 starting to come out of the other side now, which is nice.

鈥淟ife is just so short. You鈥檝e got to live every day and be happy. That鈥檚 the approach I鈥檓 taking this year.鈥�

Ellie was speaking on BBC Breakfast, where she was joined by her sister Becky, who is also a medal-winning Team GB gymnast.

The Olympians were giving their support to the British Heart Foundation鈥檚 campaign The Circuit, which aims to get unregistered defibrillators added to the centralised network for easy access in emergencies.

Becky said: 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have access to them, they can鈥檛 be used.

"There are tens of thousands that are out there that aren鈥檛 registered and aren鈥檛 being used, and it鈥檚 just a matter of minutes that will save a life.

"So it鈥檚 about making people aware and, hopefully, a lot more lives can be saved.鈥�

To find a bereavement counsellor visit our听Therapist Directory.

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Picture credit: BBC/BBC Breakfast