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From Times Online
April 25, 2007

Sporting chance

Rhona Blair, sports manager at the Sports Development Centre at Loughborough University

RHONA BLAIR, 30, sports science manager at the Sports Development Centre, Loughborough University

“When I graduated from the University of Birmingham in sport and exercise science, I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I took a year out in Australia. I did a placement at the Queensland Academy of Sport working with elite athletes. Seeing the level of professional support that they received was a real eye-opener. I didn’t know that anything like that existed; it didn’t in the UK.

“I came home and did an MSc in exercise physiology here at Loughborough University. There still weren’t many jobs in sports science when I graduated so I had to build my own role. I’ve developed it from a job that started as helping out for a few hours a week into a service that now employs two members of staff.

“The sports science service offers support in all areas of sports science, but the main work I do is in physiology. Anybody can access our service, so we work with students, members of the public and professional sportspeople such as runners, cyclists, superbike riders, cricketers and rugby players. We assess their fitness either in the laboratory or out in the field. In the lab this generally involves testing the body’s response to exercise of increasing intensity on a treadmill or bike. We analyse the data and provide a written report with training advice and guidelines.

“There is a lot of variety in what I do because I manage the service as well as doing the hands-on side. It’s exciting working with athletes and being able to feel that you are having an input and helping the coaches and athletes to improve performance.

“You don’t have to be an accomplished sportsperson but it helps to have an understanding of what it’s like to be an athlete. The most important thing is scientific knowledge because that is what you can add to what the athlete and coach already know.

“Competition for jobs within sports science is fierce. It’s not enough to have the qualifications on paper; you have to get experience, which can be hard.”

Good point about Australian sport science support being a long way ahead of what we have here in the UK. Perhaps this may go some way to explaining the landslide victories they seem to be consistent in achieving at events such as the Swimming World Championships?

UK support services do seem to be expanding now, but from the point of view of a graduating student keen on breaking into the field, opportunities are certainly few and far between. It seems to be a case of making them arise (i.e. working with whichever athletes you can get your hands on - literally!), then applying for the jobs. Hopefully professionals such as Rhona Blair will continue supporting us and; making work experience / intern positions as widely available as possible...

Ben Holliss, Exeter, UK

Good point about Australian sport science support being a long way ahead of what we have here in the UK. Perhaps this may go some way to explaining the landslide victories they seem to be consistent in achieving at events such as the Swimming World Championships?

UK support services do seem to be expanding now, but from the point of view of a graduating student keen on breaking into the field, opportunities are certainly few and far between. It seems to be a case of making them arise (i.e. working with whichever athletes you can get your hands on - literally!), then applying for the jobs. Hopefully professionals such as Rhona Blair will continue supporting us and; making work experience / intern positions as widely available as possible...

Ben Holliss, Exeter, UK

Good point about Australian sport science support being a long way ahead of what we have here in the UK. Perhaps this may go some way to explaining the landslide victories they seem to be consistent in achieving at events such as the Swimming World Championships?

UK support services do seem to be expanding now, but from the point of view of a graduating student keen on breaking into the field, opportunities are certainly few and far between. It seems to be a case of making them arise (i.e. working with whichever athletes you can get your hands on - literally!), then applying for the jobs. Hopefully professionals such as Rhona Blair will continue supporting us and; making work experience / intern positions as widely available as possible...

Ben Holliss, Exeter, UK

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