Elite athletes raise the bar to combine study with training

International athletes Jade Jones and Karina LeFevre are raising the bar when it comes to sport and academic study.

Jade and Karina, who are both involved in Teesside University’s Elite Athlete scheme and have competed at international level in their respective sports, are both also studying Law.

Paralympian wheelchair athlete Jade, 19, who won bronze at last year’s Commonwealth Games and was shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, has completed the first year of her Law degree.

Jade said: 'Combining my training with study works well. The team in the Elite Athlete scheme and my lecturers in the Law department work together to ensure training fits in with my study timetable. There is good communication between the sports side and the academic side of things.

'It's great too that the academic side of the University doesn't feel too separate from what I'm doing as an Elite Athlete. The training facilities are great too. I recently used the climate chamber in the University’s Olympia Building ahead of competing in Indianapolis in America in heat up to 40 degrees.'

She added: 'It can be difficult at times trying to train and study full-time, but there is a lot of flexibility with everyone working together. I chose to study law as it’s something I've always been interested in. Studying law provides an opportunity for so many different routes which I could follow in the future.'

Jade recently took part in the Paralympic Anniversary Games where she came away with a bronze and is preparing for the Diamond League in Zurich in September. Closer to home she is taking part in the Middlesbrough 10km and Great North Run.

Karina, 22, competed in the team, mixed doubles and women’s doubles in table tennis at the Commonwealth Games. She is due to start the final year of her Law degree this autumn.

'My interest in the law was sparked when I was working in an estate agent and became interested in how the legal documents were drawn up,' said Karina.

'Law is a really interesting subject to study and it is so versatile, as there are so many different elements of law which can be linked to sport, such as contracts and the many legal aspects. It’s a great foundation to have.'

Karina, who now has her sights set on Russia for the European Championships added: 'Studying while being involved in training works really well. I spend as much time in the sports department as I do in the law department and the support provided from the sports side and the academic side is really good.'

Matthew Wright, Sports Development Officer (Elite Sport) at Teesside University, said: 'We provide holistic and cutting-edge sports science support on an individual level to develop our student athletes, many of whom have gone on compete at major world events. It's is great to see so many of our athletes do so well, as it reflects what we are aiming to achieve through the scheme.'

Angela King, Senior Lecturer in Law, said: 'We see each student as an individual and strive to adapt to their needs and circumstances which we look at from an academic perspective alongside that student’s own personal needs, in the case of Jade and Karina from a sports perspective.'

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Find out more about the Elite Athlete scheme at Teesside University