Personal Statement
As an athlete I constantly strive to keep myself in peak condition by training to a high standard whilst looking after my body to avoid injury. This is only possible because I am extremely self-motivated and passionate as an individual, attributes which also come through in my academic work. Whilst balancing sport and academics can be challenging, the satisfaction and reward I gain from performing highly in both is incredibly fulfilling and drives me to excellence.
Currently I have a rigorous training programme on and off track; it comprises of four training sessions each week alongside circuit training on days when I do not train at the track. Over the years I have become highly aware of the impact of health and nutrition on my performance. In light of this, I adopt a balanced and mindful approach to help fulfil my goals, and incorporate physio stretching, yoga and conditioning classes into my training schedule.
I demonstrated a natural aptitude for running and athletics at a young age. After encouragement from my Physical Education teacher, I began training from the age of eight, and started competing aged nine. Athletics is the sport which I have truly loved from the beginning, and this continues to be the case. I can recognise the benefits of the hard work which training programs demand in the visible improvements in my performance: these are reflected in my impressive competition results. My enthusiasm for athletics has been present from the beginning when I would take part in as many events as possible to find out what I enjoyed most. Taking part in cross country races was a chance for my determination, perseverance and intelligence to shine through as I managed to become the Junior Scottish Schools Cross Country Champion three years in a row, despite little training on how to compete in the event. I also competed in a variety of track and field events which allowed me to discover a natural talent in the pentathlon event. On several occasions I competed in this event and found that it did not always go my way, losing out on a medal. However, this drove me to improve in the events where I was weaker, and as a result of my hard work and determination I managed to win the gold medals and became Scottish Schools Pentathlon Champion two years in a row. Whilst competing in various events over the years, I discovered that my true passion was in sprinting events. I have been Scottish Schools Champion in the 100m, 200m, 300m and long jump. I am sixteen years of age and have decided that going forward I will only be focusing on the sprint events from 100-400m because that is what I enjoy the most in athletics. The decision to focus on sprints will enable me to direct all of my training efforts to these events, which in turn will allow me to improve my performance significantly.
I thrive on training consistently to the best of my ability and with a positive attitude. I have gone from strength to strength when completing each of my training programs, and with my coaches’ feedback I have used this to improve times and technique throughout all of my races. I enjoy training in warm weather climates such as Europe. I have found this to be highly beneficial and enjoyable because it significantly improves my muscle response and allows me to maximise my level of performance in each of the sessions. I have won numerous Championships races including the Scottish Schools, National Championships and The Scottish National Championships. I have also travelled to the English National Championships and been awarded multiple medals in the 300m sprint. I currently hold two Scottish National records in the 300m sprint. In February 2020, my first time competing in the 400m sprint, I was singled out and moved above my collective age group (first year under 17's) to compete against under-20 athletes. Despite the large disparity in age, I took the gold medal in the Scottish National Championships and ran a time of 56.58. Due to COVID restrictions and regulations, I have not been afforded the opportunity to compete in a National competition and demonstrate my improvement in the last year. My last race was the 300m sprint when I ran a PB of 39.6 which has gained me a place in the Scottish Athletics Academy. I am hopeful that restrictions will ease soon, as I am training to represent my country in the 400m sprint at the Junior European Championships in August in Italy. I have attached a link to my Power 10 for all my rankings - https://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=688281..
I attend Edinburgh Academy High School, Edinburgh, Scotland, where I apply myself to my studies with great dedication. I gained a sports scholarship and this motivates me to aim high and achieve the best results. Structure and routine allow me to balance and excel in both sports and academics. They complement each other, enabling me to take breaks from each to relax and recuperate, allowing me to optimise my performance in both and avoid burnout. I am extremely passionate about working in medicine and recognise that the American education system offers more diversity in subject choice than the United Kingdom, and this appeals to me. This year I study eight National 5 subjects and have been predicated A grades in all of them as follows: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Geography, Physical Education and French. In August after this academic year I will be studying Highers and have chosen the following subjects: English, Maths, Physical Education, Biology and Chemistry.
In my free time I have volunteered to work with Marie Curie Cancer Care and I am planning to do this once restrictions allow. I have also been offered work experience in a pharmaceutical research facility through Cambrex, a company which has sponsored me; I will be starting there in June 2021. This should be an interesting opportunity to expand my chemistry knowledge and learn different processes which take place in Chemistry laboratories. I also enjoy reading a range of books. Recently I found the autobiography "Prison Doctor" by Dr Amanda Brown incredibly interesting. It has sparked an interest in reading more medical literature.
I want to be able to take my athletics to the next level whilst continuing with my education by beginning a degree in Biology, as part of my pre-medical education. I am an extremely determined individual and have already proven that I can perform to a high standard in athletics as well as in education. I wish to continue to do this, and to follow my dream of running in major competitions while also pursuing a career in medicine. I know that I could gain this in the USA with the help of a full scholarship which would develop my performance as an athlete whilst also allowing me to fulfil my academic potential.
