Sports stars graduate in Life Sciences

12 Jul 2012

One of Britain’s top rowers, a leading badminton player and an international downhill mountain biker will be among the Life Sciences students graduating from the University this week.

Their successes in both the world of sport and Life Sciences are a testament not only to their drive and determination but also to the support offered by the University.

With up to 30 hours of training a week the elite athletes also have to attend lectures, seminars and lab sessions in their demanding subjects. The support network offered by their tutors, Faculty staff and the University’s Sports Scholarship Scheme has proved vital in ensuring they stay on top of their sport and their degree.

Biomedical Sciences graduate and rower Graeme Thomas is ranked 5th in the country after competing in the Great Britain’s Men’s Single Scull Trials in March. He’s just one place outside of the Olympic squad. Amazingly Graeme was a rugby player when he joined the university and only took up rowing during his first year as part of the GB Rowing Team’s Start Programme sponsored by Siemens.

Graeme says: “Balancing sport and a degree is difficult, especially rowing, as it is a particularly time consuming sport. There is little time for anything else but it’s the choice I made and I love doing it. The network of support the Manchester Sports Scholarship opened up to me has been really beneficial.”

The other sports scholars in the Faculty who are graduating this year are badminton player Jamie Bonsels, who has achieved First Class Honours in Biomedical Sciences, and downhill mountain biker Jack Reading, with a Masters in Optometry.

The Sports Scholarship Scheme provides a range of support for students including funding for free gym access, physiotherapy sessions, lifestyle support and strength and conditioning coaching.

Within the Faculty of Life Sciences students have been encouraged to take up sport to improve their chances of finding employment after graduation. Dr Liz Sheffield, the Faculty’s Deputy Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Students explains: “The skills our students develop taking part in sports complement their academic work. They learn vital employable skills that we can’t teach them in a lecture”.

Graeme, Jamie and Jack will graduate with their peers from the Faculty of Life Sciences on Friday 13 July in the Whitworth Hall.