When were you born?
1990
Where are you originally from?
Melton Mowbray
What sport have you been rewarded for?
Karate
What course do you do?
Sports Studies
Who do you currently play for/train with?
I’m currently training with two coaches at the minute. The first 1 is Andrew Turner and the second is David Pinthol. One is in Essex and one is in London.
How many years have you participated in this sport?
I have been competing for about five years but doing Karate since I was about eight years old.
How has your career progressed to this point? How high a level have you competed?
It’s good. It’s gone from strength to strength really. Just working my way up.
What in your opinion is the best sporting moment you’ve had?
Fighting in the World Tournament in Berlin.
How is this award going to help you?
Because I’m away from home and from my normal club, there are no actual clubs that do my style of karate in and around Bedford so this allows me to pay for petrol to get to Milton Keynes and continue training.
What other ways have the University helped other than financial support?
What I’ve learnt in the lectures really. Obviously I’m doing a sport course so a lot of John Brewer’s lectures on nutrition and hydration have helped so I can understand why things happen in training. From other lectures, I get to understand the physiology side and how this affects the sort of training we do.
How do you balance your sporting activities with your university and social lives?
It’s hard to go the gym when everyone else is going out and partying just I just need to have a bit of a balance.
What are your main strengths and weaknesses?
I’m quite a good puncher but I can’t kick at all.
What are your aspirations for the future?
I want to keep going in my sport, eventually getting a coaching role and train others through the process that I’ve been in and then obviously with the competing, I just want to get higher and higher in karate. Maybe win a world tournament? That would be the dream but I’ll see what happens.
What are your hobbies other than sport?
Listening to music, hanging with friends and working.
What piece of advice would you give to youngsters just starting out in your sport?
Keep at it. There are a lot of points when you think, especially around 16 when everyone starts going out more socialising and you cant deal with this anymore. Just stick at it though.
What is your favourite film?
Waiting with Ryan Reynolds.
What is your favourite current music artist?
I’ve got too many….
What is your favourite dish?
I love a good steak.
What is the best place you have competed?
Berlin for the World Tournament
What’s your biggest fear?
Rats. Definitely rats!
