UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 06 JANUARY 2020
A Birmingham-born student from a sporting family has set her sights on helping the next generation of sporting talent reach the top, after illness derailed her ambitions to become a professional sportswoman.
Birmingham City University student Savannah Sturridge, who won accolades including regional champion in sports such as gymnastics and athletics, has spoken of her desire to make a different type of impact in the industry – using her training as a sport and exercise scientist to develop others.
Savannah comes from a well-known footballing family and grew up with an active schedule herself - until health issues halted her sporting ambitions in their tracks.
Bouts of glandular fever and pneumonia left Sturridge with breathing difficulties, meaning she had to scale down her participation in sport to playing hockey as often as her health allowed.
Determined to channel her disappointment into something positive, Sturridge decided to put her passion for sport to use academically, first with GCSEs and A-Levels in PE, before joining Birmingham City University to continue her studies.
She now hopes to break the mould and become one of the few academics in Sports Science in the UK to be both female and from an ethnic minority background.
Sturridge, explained: “Growing up, I’ve seen the ins and outs of sport because of my family, and have always been fascinated by it. I have never been forced into sport; it has always been a part of me. To then be held back by a health issue, and told by doctors not to play sport, was a huge lifestyle change and incredibly frustrating.”
“Sport is often sadly a short term career due to illness, injury and age. So I wanted to help athletes and those aspiring to be, to be in sport for as long as possible, so I decided to channel sport into my academic life. I was fortunate enough to have grown up in a family of hard workers, my mom especially, and that’s one of many key attributes I proudly take from her. She has always told me to keep focused, stay driven, lead from the front whilst remaining humble and success will follow’.
Since joining the University, Sturridge has already been given the opportunity to work alongside professional sportspeople and develop her skills in a real-world setting.
She hopes to keep developing her skills in order to help others realise their ambitions in professional sport.
“This is my third year at the University, and it has given me everything I dreamt it would. In my first few months of being a student I led a warm-up for Kidderminster Harriers Football Club academy players and I continue to help with sports science testing days with them. I have also helped with Warwickshire County Cricket Club sports science testing. I’ve even had the chance to interview international athletes for UK Athletics as a volunteer at their competitions.
“I am hoping to go on to study a Master’s and if I can, then a PhD. I would love to publish my own research and become a lecturer to encourage the next generation. That’s my main goal but will take incredible hard work to get there.”
Savannah’s story forms part of Birmingham City University’s ‘I AM BCU’ campaign in which students discuss their personal journeys into higher education and how these have transformed their confidence, pride and sense of belonging.