For the past decade, I have worked for Swim England, the National Governing Body for Aquatic sport in England. I was initially employed in the talent development space and more latterly in coach development. Over the past few years, I held the role of Head of Coaching and led the creation of the first strategic plan for aquatics coaching in England.
Prior to moving to Swim England, I worked as a swimming and strength and conditioning coach in a private school that ran a scholarship programme for aspiring junior athletes. Swimming was always my passion and whilst I had chosen to pursue a career primarily in coaching, my role also utilised the knowledge and experience that I had gained from studying BSc Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Bath and then an MSc in Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University. During this time, I coached a number of athletes to both junior and senior international success, including Olympic and World Champion and World Record Holder Ruta Meilutyte.
I was excited to join CAPE in October of this year, as a Sport Scientist and Business Development Manager covering the UK and Europe. Alongside this new role, I will also be studying towards an MSc in Coach Development at Leeds Beckett University and working as a Coach Developer on a consultancy basis. I have just completed a two-year programme with UK Sport called Supporting Coaches in High Performance Sport and am honoured to be one of the first Coach Developers to achieve chartered status in the UK.
I am an avid sports fan and love watching pretty much all sport, but prefer to do this at live events. I am very lucky to live near a beautiful part of England called the Peak District National Park and I enjoy going for family walks at the weekends. I still also enjoy swimming myself, both indoors and outdoors; as a child I was brought up by the coast and was heavily involved in Open Water Swimming. At the age of 16, I completed a solo swim of the English Channel – but nowadays the swims are a little shorter and in warmer water!
My experience of working in high performance sport has made me realise that the margins for success are finite and every opportunity to enhance performance should be explored. The research is compelling around the difference between prescription and off the shelf compression garments and I am excited to spread the word about the CAPE products in both the UK and Europe. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work alongside practitioners and athletes from across the sporting landscape, supporting their aspirations and endeavours to perform at their best when it really matters.
