Having the opportunity to immerse myself into the University Swimming programme and getting involved in the use of and feedback on the analysis systems used through British Swimming provides invaluable experience. Being involved in the applied world is fantastic and provides you with the real-world experiences that are needed when looking for employment.
In the future I would love to be a biomechanist / performance analyst for an Olympic sport. Continuing with Loughborough Sport and the swimming programme would be fantastic, however I’m always open to other opportunities and different sports. I could also continue down the engineering side, developing equipment or software for sports programmes to utilise.
The advice I would give to someone thinking of undertaking a PhD at Loughborough is that it’s a big decision to make on the next 3 or 4 years of your life – think it through thoroughly before jumping in.
It’s completely normal for the first year to be daunting; stick at it and ask for support where needed. Having a thesis alone isn’t what makes you attractive to future employers – it’s the experiences, knowledge and people you meet along the way, so take advantage of every opportunity you’re given.