This scholarship is really important to me to support my goal to become a paramedic while also working towards my sporting goals as an elite squash player. Whilst I am so grateful to have received this offer to pursue my studies in the field that I’m passionate about, there are some financial circumstances that I need to take into consideration. I have had to pay my fees upfront as a Permanent Resident and it hasn’t been easy to sustain this together with professional squash tournaments and travel fees with my parents also supporting my sister who is currently in year 10 and also plays junior squash. I work four part-time jobs (coaching, waiting, tutoring, healthcare staff), to save this money.

I enjoy working and manage my time well, however any financial support would be appreciated to allow more study time when the workload increases and training hours towards major events, without financial worry. My study definitely complements my career as a high performance athlete including: developing time management skills, prioritisation, resilience, function under pressure. It is a challenge when events clash or there is a time constraint to allocate sessions for both aspects but I have learnt to give 100% during these sessions and stay organised.

Education is important for me to be able to attend to those in need of healthcare especially during acute situations and the skills that I have developed throughout will be transferable to my post athlete career. I’m currently in my first year of Paramedic Science and really enjoying it. I believe that my participation in study has taught me that if you put your mind to it, you can pursue your study pathway while also working towards sporting goals, doing both things you love.