Imogen Davis, Heptathlete, shares her experience at Kent as a student in Sport and Exercise Science.
Tell us a bit about your course. What does a day in your life look like?
I’ve just finished my second year for a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science. A day in the life depends on the term! We covered nutrition, biomechanics, physiology and research methods in the Autumn, and physiology, research methods, psychology and special populations in the Spring. The mix of lectures, practicals and seminars can change – I loved the variety. Some days you may have a few hours of lectures/seminars and others you’d have time to catch up on notes and finish the further readings set, or take time to catch up with friends and go to society activities.
However, my day (or week) in the life has always been pretty similar throughout the years. Wake up, gym/train, eat, lecture, work, eat, food shop, train, eat, bed! Some may find that boring, but I like the structure and it keeps me busy.
Wow! Sounds like it keeps you busy!
I hear you’re also a Sports Scholar. What does that entail?
I compete in the Heptathlon, which covers the 100m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Putt, 200m, Long Jump, Javelin and the 800m, over two days. The Sports Scholarship scheme has taken me on as a scholar since my first year, which I’m very grateful for! I train 5-6 days a week, 3 of which are double sessions (gym and track) which I love. Track sessions span from light technical work for my events, to some nasty 800m or 200m lactate sessions – which somehow are also my favourites.
Applying for the scheme has helped me massively while doing my degree, not only financially (which is always appreciated as a student), but also physically and psychologically. Support from Oli (head of the scheme), Harry and Jim (Strength and Conditioning leads), Vicky (physio) and Mark and Millie (massage) have made a big difference to keeping me both sane and healthy when I have niggles or aches, and remind me that I have a whole team who are there to support me.
How do you apply?
Applying for the scheme includes filling out an online form, with your current level and goals for the long term, so it’s easy to apply and I highly recommend it if you’re a dedicated athlete who really wants to work and progress in your sport.
You do so many sports – how does your course fit around your extra-curricular activities?
My course has fitted in really well with my training so far – of course, compromises need to be made, and at stressful times, i.e. exams or assignment deadlines, training does get harder for me to completely switch off from other things I need to do. I’m pretty lucky with my degree as I have been able to stick to my original training schedule before starting uni. But, you also have to want to make things work – discipline with sleep, further readings and assessments have to be prioritised to keep the ball rolling, otherwise it won’t do any good for your stress! (Even when it’s the last thing you want to do).
Thankfully, my lecturers are great and will always make time for anyone who asks for it, so flexibility with timetables is definitely possible. I also worked part-time on the weekend as a waitress, so there can always be time made to have outside activities from studying.
Can you tell us about your dissertation?
I’ll be completing a dissertation for my final year – my aim is currently to investigate the effects of caffeine on repeated sprint performance in rugby athletes, as well as gaining a better understanding of athletes’ views on ultra-processed foods and supplements. I know I can always visit the Skills for Academic Success hub if I need support when trying to fit this in on top of my other modules, training, placement and part-time work.
What are your career plans?
An ideal future would be pursuing a career as a professional athlete! On top of this, I’d love to build on my other interests, such as the ultra-processed food pandemic, and working within businesses to be part of something bigger to educate people on how to improve their health and longevity long term. I also love the idea of the creative side to product development and advertising, so apart from pro sport, I’m still not 100% sure on my direction just yet.
What is your proudest achievement in sports?
I don’t really like mentioning sporting achievements, as I still have a long way to go before I’m nearer to my long-term goals. But, back in January I achieved a Personal Best for the Indoor Pentathlon and was able to place 4th at the England and UKA Championships for the U23 category – so next year, my aim is to place 1st!
How do the many services we offer at Kent help out with your goals?
I mainly use the sporting Kent services, such as using the free gym entry (from the scholar scheme) on a weekly basis, as well as massage and physio, which I would likely be broke without! I lived on campus both years, and it was the best choice for me. Getting used to the routine, campus and having everything close by saved me a lot of time, even though I live locally. I also highly recommend attending the yearly Kent Sports Ball, which was a good laugh with my friends and an excuse to wear a dress!
I’ve heard great things about the Sport and Exercise Sciences facilities… what’s your favourite piece of equipment?
Best equipment is a hard one. We have a new Strength and Conditioning Suite which has been kitted out with some really top-notch equipment! I’ve used the anti-gravity treadmill for injury rehab, and done a few lactate threshold tests, VO2max tests and isokinetic dynamometer work for students’ studies, which were really interesting for me as I’m very much a numbers and results person. Apart from that, the abundance of squat racks and dumbbells are what I need!