November 17, 2017, by Cara McIsaac-Hall
#NottsGirlsCan – Becky Beard
Across the country this week, universities are celebrating females in sport with the This BUCS Girl Can campaign championed by British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).
Here at University of Nottingham, we’re featuring a sportswoman every day who we’re proud to count as part of our #NottsGirlsCan community. From Team GB athlete to complete beginner they all have one thing in common – sport has been a huge part of their lives and they want to share it with everyone!
Finally in our series, we chat to Becky Beard, who’s in her final year of a Pharmacy degree and who currently works as an Ambassador for our Leadership Academy.
What attracted you to sport?
To be honest I fell into gymnastics because the optician told my mum it would improve my hand eye coordination – and I do trip over a lot less now!
I applied to be part of the Leadership Academy because I love working with children and I wanted more experience of teaching and leading others.
What do you love about the Leadership Academy?
It sounds cheesy but it is really rewarding. It’s an opportunity to give back and seeing a child who wasn’t interested suddenly discover new skills and then put these into action is so rewarding.
Our sessions aim to teach life skills through sport – so it really is about making long lasting change in these young people’s outlook.
How has being a sports leader changed you?
My confidence and perseverance have definitely grown since I became a sports leader. The opportunities have been really varied and I have met lots of people from different backgrounds – many of whom are now new friends!
Why is sport important to you?
If I hadn’t done sport, I would be nowhere near as rounded as a person I am today. Also the people, sports people are so friendly!
What’s in the pipeline?
I’m really looking forward to getting more involved this year as the Leadership Academy ambassador. I want to get as many students involved with volunteering with us as possible and together I think we can do some great work with young people in the county!
One piece of advice you’d give?
Do it…you will get so much more out of it than you can even imagine.
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Share your #NottsGirlCan experiences and photos with us on Twitter @UoNSport or Instagram @UoNSport and we’ll share our favourites each day!
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