Sports and Exercise Science Personal Statement

For most women, health advice is limited to ‘eat less, move more’ and damaging attempts to force them to cut out carbs and eat the number of calories required for a toddler. WebMD says: ‘Toddlers need between 1,000 and 1,400 calories a day’, yet MyFitnessPal recommends this for women’s weight loss.

In addition, fear of gaining too much muscle, pushes women away from the sport I believe is one of the most beneficial – powerlifting. With use of scientifically researched training programmes, women can improve their mental and physical health in the gym without developing a harmful relationship with their body, food or exercise. As an individual who has struggled with all these issues, I know first-hand how much an in-depth comprehension of sport and exercise can drastically change a person’s perception of health.

Most people are unaware of how the body changes during exercise. Hundreds of biological processes are occurring constantly, and after studying these in A Level Biology, I am intrigued to learn about this process in a further depth and specifically linked to sport. One area of interest of mine is muscular contractions and protein synthesis, as it gives an insight on what transpires during and after weightlifting.

For both strength and hypertrophy to improve, the body must be placed under stressful stimuli, damaging the muscle fibres which it then rebuilds during a rest period. This highlights the importance of both progressive overload and resting time, which many women ignore thinking they must exercise constantly, yet avoid any heavy weights. Furthermore, studying biological molecules in A Level Chemistry has allowed me to have a wider knowledge of the building blocks of the human body. These subjects also bring me an insight into practical laboratory work, a cornerstone of scientific research. I thoroughly enjoy carrying out experiments and find it particularly satisfying to see results laid out once the data is processed and finally reaching a conclusion. Supporting Biology and Chemistry, logical thinking and data management are skill I pride and see essential for a course such as this and are enhanced through my study of Mathematics

From October 2020, I volunteered in Peterborough City Hospital weekly. During my time here, I assisted in many departments such as pharmacy, maternity and the dementia ward. My communication and empathy skills were vastly developed during my time here, as I liaised with people from all walks of life. These skills will aid me in supporting future training clients, as sport is open to all. My time in the maternity ward was particularly impactful as I helped women of all ages in an incredibly vulnerable moment. Seeing someone relax as they recognise that they are supported is heart-warming, and I hope to bring this forward, reassuring women that they can be safe and comfortable in the gym.

Although I have never competed in powerlifting, this is an aspiration of mine for the future. Currently, I train in my home gym 6 times a week, and I always aim to be consistent and push myself in every session. Since I started focusing on exercise in March 2020, my mental health and body image has improved greatly, and I know that others can share the positive experience. Additionally, I have learnt about anatomy, nutrition and other extracurricular sciences which will greatly benefit me in this course.

I truly believe powerlifting has taught me the grit and determination I need to study this degree. It has facilitated me to transform from an insecure, perfectionist who had impossible standards for her body and grades life to a person who has realised improving oneself is a lifelong journey. Therefore, I aim to dedicate my life to assisting other women to are in a situation like myself. Sport can be life changing. The impact on mental and physical health is astounding and I cannot wait to engross myself in this course and understand the in-depth science behind my passion.