Balancing A levels with high performance sport

Training and studying for important exams can sometimes seem like an impossible task.  We recently caught up with one of our past students Jess who managed to achieve top A level grades alongside maintaining a rigorous training schedule!

Jess’s story……

Between 2014 and 2016 I was working towards my A-levels in PE, Biology and Psychology, with the hope of eventually pursuing a university degree. At the same time, I was a hopeful young triathlete competing nationally on the British Super Series circuit, with aspirations to compete internationally in the near future. These two things did not always go hand in hand. For two years I was trying to balance 25 - 30 hours of training per week with the demands of studying for the most important exams of my life so far.

The hardest challenge I faced over this period was time management. I knew that I needed to be able to use almost every second of my time effectively, if I was going to succeed in both my exams and my sport. But, as you can imagine, this was not always easy. A lot of the time something had to give; sometimes it was training, occasionally it was studying, but, more often than not, it was my social life. I had big aspirations for myself academically – I wanted to study sport & exercise science at the University of Bath, so I knew I needed to work hard to achieve good grades. I was also keen to gain an international race start, which meant performing well over the British series which took place, you guessed it… over exam period. So, the only thing I was willing to sacrifice was my social life, and I really felt this at college.  I found it hard to make proper friends as everyone would bond over nights out and trips to the pub, but I just couldn’t be doing those things.  It felt very isolating at times, so you’re not alone if you’re feeling something similar. 

Fast-forward to today and the hard work and dedication I put in over those years couldn’t be more worth it. The struggle of managing high performance sport with my A levels motivated me to take a gap year and train full-time. This was one of the best years of my life, but it also showed me that my journey in triathlon was coming to an end. I went on to the University of Bath as I had hoped, where I’m three years into a sport & exercise science degree that I love and am currently living in Sydney, Australia completing a dream work placement.

To anyone who is in the same situation as I was…

SPEAK UP!

Communication is so important when trying to balance two things that are incredibly time consuming. Make sure you are talking to the relevant people at your school or college about the demands you are facing. More often than not your teachers will be accommodating, but if they don’t know you need help they can’t do anything for you! During my second year of college, I would come from a pool session straight to my Biology class twice a week and rush hour traffic could often make me late. I told my Biology teacher about this; from then on there was no issue if I was late and she even let me eat my breakfast at my desk when I arrived. At the same time, keep up communication with your coach about how your workload is affecting your training.

PLAN AHEAD!

At the beginning of the academic year work out when your assignments are due, when revision needs to start and when your exams are. Match this up with your training and competition schedule and use this to identify areas where you can see things might be difficult. If your coach knows in advance the periods where training may have to give, they will be a lot happier than if you suddenly start missing sessions with no warning.

Finally, keep your chin up, what you are achieving is something to be proud of. The struggle and hard work will be worth it when you look back in a few years’ time, trust me.

-          Jessica Wenlock (PE 2016)

Jess achieved A* A* A at A level and is studying Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Bath.  She is also currently completing a Sport & Exercise Internship at the NSW Institute of Sport in Sydney Australia as part of her degree.