As though the commitment required to be a top-level athlete wasn’t already enough, Charlotte McGuiness made the decision to take on the additional challenge of expanding her knowledge with an undergraduate degree at Leeds Trinity University back in 2020.

Charlotte, known as Lottie, represents Team GB in Para Powerlifting and has been competing at events throughout her time studying Sport and Exercise Sciences. That includes the Para Powerlifting World Cup 2021, where she placed third in the senior division and second in the junior division.

A part of the ‘World Class Programme’, Lottie has been required to travel from her home in Harrogate to the training base in Loughborough up to three times a month, making it challenging for her to attend live practical sessions at Leeds Trinity’s Horsforth campus along with the rest of her cohort.

However, her endeavours have been supported through the University’s Talented Athlete Support Package, which assists student athletes competing at a high level to manage their studies and sports careers by providing blended learning arrangements.

That has been a huge help to Lottie, who – despite admitting to having “many bumps along the way” – has successfully managed to balance the demands of her training regime and three-year course, graduating today with a 2:1.

Lottie said: “Combining training, competing and studying can be hard, so having the extra support from Sarah [Todd, Sports Development and Performance Manager at Leeds Trinity] and the sports department gave me so much reassurance. I wasn’t panicking about what I was missing or upcoming deadlines as I knew the process of making alternative arrangements allowed me to catch up easily. If everything had felt like a rush, I’d have been rushing my training too, which would have meant I wasn’t progressing as I needed to. It really takes a weight off your shoulders and offers a helping hand when you need it most.

“Thanks to that, I was able to get a grade that I’m really happy with and do well in my recent powerlifting events. It’s a great feeling, a good grade and all the hard work has been worth it.”

Sarah Todd said: “Charlotte is so modest; she downplays how hard she has worked. To travel to Loughborough three days a week and train for long hours, do the recovery and everything else she has to do, and study on a full-time degree with no long-term extensions is remarkable. I’m in awe of her and I’ve told her so many times that she is superhuman.

“It’s a privilege for me to be able to work with athletes, but especially athletes like Lottie. She’s doubted herself along the way, but she’s the one who has put the work in and pushed herself academically and in her sport. I’m blown away by what she has achieved.”

Lottie has plans to use her degree to find a job in a relevant field in future, however, her immediate focus will turn to qualifying for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris next year.

For more information on the Sport and Exercise Sciences course at Leeds Trinity University, which is available in Clearing, visit the website.