Marc explores a world of sport

World class competitors await University of Teesside BSc (Hons) Sport Science graduate and gymnast Marc Tyzack, when he takes part in the World Student Games, to be held in Beijing in August. It’s Marc’s second appearance in the Games; he also took part in the 1999 competition held in Spain.

Marc, 22, from Normanby, Middlesbrough, first took up gymnastics at the age of four. He performs on six pieces of apparatus, the floor, ponnel horse, rings, parallel bars, high bar and vault. Marc said: “The student games are like a mini-Olympics, I’ll be up against world class athletes who are used to competing at international level. I’ve always liked the sport, it’s exciting and requires skill, not many people can do it.”

To prepare for the games Marc has been training for 35 hours a week at Gymworld in Middlesbrough, under the supervision of Teesside Sport Science Lecturer Matt Portas. Marc also worked with Nikolai Trutnev, a top Russian coach, for six weeks. The training has paid off. Marc took part in a Telford-based British Universities Sporting Association (BUSA) competition in April, which placed him in third position. A week later he competed at a London-based competition and improved his previous score by three points, gaining third place in a strong field. Marc said: “I feel more confident going into these games, I’ve improved my fitness and strength and am more consistent.”

He has combined the training with coaching children aged 5-14 at Gymworld, and lecturing on the University’s Higher National Diploma in Sport Science. In September Mark begins a Post-Graduate course, which will qualify him as a Secondary PE teacher in 2002.

For more information on Sport & Exercise Programmes at the University of Teesside please call 01642 342308, or check the University of Teesside’s web site at www.tees.ac.uk

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