Karina raising the bar to combine study with sporting career

Law graduate Karina Le Fevre has raised the bar in combining an international sporting career with study.

Karina, 23, from Stockton, who has represented England in table tennis, graduates from the LLB (Hons) Law.

She said: 'I decided to study at Teesside as my training was already set up here and financially and practically it made sense to stay at home.

'My sister studied computing here, so I was confident with the University’s academic standards and I was familiar with some of the sports staff I had worked with previously,' added Karina, who is involved in Teesside University’s Elite Athlete scheme.

'I had a great time working with the sport and law departments. I got on well with the staff and they always helped to guide me through the course. I was also provided with support for my table tennis through the Elite Athlete Scheme throughout my three years of studying.

'Everyone was very understanding of my other sporting commitments, which helped me to maintain my workload, particularly in my first year when I was training in the run up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and needed to take time away to train in places like China for weeks at a time.

'The course looked at a range of different subject areas, so I could get an idea which area of law I was most interested in. One of my favourite areas was land law, which I based my dissertation on, and I also enjoyed my time in the Law Clinic where I helped to deal with different legal matters. This offered great practical experience.

'Being chosen to work in the Law Clinic during the third year of my course enabled me to take on real legal cases for four hours each week with the help of Law Clinic supervisor Andrew Perriman.

'Now I've graduated, I will focus on my table tennis training over the summer as it is the pre-season and then I may look to continue studying and do a masters at Teesside University, or may consider part-time work in the run up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games which will be held at Australia’s Gold Coast.

'The work I did with the sports staff was the highlight of my time at Teesside, as I feel I improved as an athlete. It was great to work with the physio interns and strength and conditioning staff. I feel the work of Matthew Wright, who runs the Elite Athlete programme, was invaluable to me due to his determination, enthusiasm and willingness to help at all times. 'I highly recommend Teesside University for the attention it gives to all students individually and the way it accommodates individual circumstances. The investment in new buildings and renovations also means it is likely to keep improving.'

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