I personally grew up from the a young age as a sportsperson. By the age of 10 I was competing in Cross Country and Football for my school teams before specialising in Athletics and eventually becoming a 400m Hurdler (although I always still like to play the odd game of football). Therefore, I know the needs and demands that sport places on athletes, both physically and psychologicallly. I'm now retired from sport and instead I'm trying to give back to the sport that I love by becomoing a Level 3 Sprints and Hurdles Coach on the Track. Aside from that, I still keep fit in the gym and I enjoy connecting with nature going on hikes, and walking the dog.

​My extensive range of experiences from sport, both from an individual and a team sport perspective has helped in my education, helping me to find answers to questions such as “why did I feel so nervous?” or “how come I’ve performed so badly when I’ve trained so hard?”. My love for sport led me to completing my undergraduate degree in Sport & Exercise Science as a distance learner with Manchester Metropolitan University, before going on to complete my Masters in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Brunel University London.

I am also just about to start my PhD by publication, researching the long term effects of concussion on Ice Hockey players. The research is of particular interest to me as I currently work a lot with current and retired Ice Hockey players who have all suffered in some way through their sport and so in conducting this research I hope to guide the sport to safer practices.