November 2014

Sports students inspired to strive for excellence

Read time: approx 1 mins

Commonwealth and Winter youth Olympic medallist Jazmin Sawyers spoke to FE Sport students about her time as a professional athlete and how to become successful in the sports industry. 

Jazmin first considered becoming a professional athlete after competing in the World School Championships at 15, and she spoke to students about the decisions she made that ultimately led to her rise in sporting fame. She talked about her time training with Jessica Ennis and her personal trainer as well as her time competing in the Winter Olympics as part of the British bobsleigh team. 

She also spoke about her recent decision to focus her efforts on training for the long jump. She described to the students how it felt to compete at an Olympic final – the tension, the excitement and the incredible atmosphere. “It makes every second of training worth it,” she said. “I have never felt anything close to that experience – and the thought that I have more to look forward to in the future is overwhelming.” 

After her talk, the students got the chance to ask her questions about her lifestyle. She gave them an insight into her weekly training routine, how she copes with sporting injuries, how she maintains a healthy diet, how she manages all aspects of her life on top of a hectic schedule and her future goals – one of which is her ambition to be the first UK woman to compete in the Summer and Winter Olympics. 

"I loved coming into UCB to talk to the FE sports students,” said Jazmin. “They were so welcoming and engaged with what I was saying to them. I could tell they were genuinely interested in hearing what I had to talk about. It’s fantastic for me to come in and see students, who are not much younger than me, so interested in what I have to say about the industry because some of them will be fundamental in helping athletes like me, or future athletes, in achieving their goals on the world stage through their career choices.” 

Nikki Brady, FE Sports lecturer, said: "It's a fantastic opportunity for our students to meet and listen to elite sports people talk about their lifestyle and careers. It gives them a real insight into what it takes to being an elite sports person, the sacrifices they make, the demands placed upon them in terms of training and lifestyle and also to hear about their journey to become elite in their chosen sport. 

“The information our students pick up from sessions like this invaluable to them as they get to hear it first hand and allows them to ask questions to the athlete themselves and get real answers.”

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