Brandon Egan-Walters
I was drawn to the idea of working with elite athletes and gaining a taste of the sporting industry.
My name’s Brandon, and I’m 22 years old. I finished my HSC in 2015, but I really wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do after school, as I was playing Representative Rugby League at the time. I ended up working full-time at Nike in the industry and decided to backpack around Europe for 3 months before beginning my degree here at UTS.
Coming from a background in Representative Rugby League, I have always been drawn to the idea of Sport and Exercise. Additionally, my time working at Nike highlighted the importance of business concepts and how they can be applied to all aspects of life. I really wanted to find a degree which, I was not only passionate about, but also challenged me to gain further knowledge and skills that I can take into my future career.
I have always been drawn to sport and exercise as a whole; however, I am deeply interested in musculoskeletal management and injury prevention – I love a challenge! I am the kind of person that has to know the in’s and out’s of everything! A bit annoying at the best of times, but I love having the ability to continuously learn, enhance my skills and challenge my preconceived ideas.
I chose to study at UTS because I was drawn to the idea of working in the state-of-the-art Sport & Exercise Facilities at the Moore Park Campus. I was also drawn to the idea of working alongside elite sporting athletes and gaining a real-life taste of the sporting industry! Being exposed to elite clubs, including the Sydney Roosters, the Australian Wallabies and the Sydney Swans, has created opportunities to apply my learning and theoretical knowledge into real-life high-performance settings.
One highlight in my degree has been having access to learning environments with academics who are experts in their field of health. This has not only provided me with the best access to learning resources but additionally feeds their research and experience directly into the learning curriculum. Knowing that you are learning from the best of the best solidifies the knowledge and skills that you have gained and I wish to utilise this in my future career.
This degree has taught me to never take things at face-value. There are so many interesting this to find and explore – once you dig a little deeper than face value, there is a wealth of knowledge that you have never thought possible. Additionally, you have a wealth of opportunities that could change your career path or passion in a heartbeat, and I learnt that the best way to learn and adapt to the dynamically-changing sport & exercise environment is to jump into any opportunity you can get! You never know where it will take you.
After finishing my degree at the end of 2020, I hope to be a successful applicant in the UTS Master of Physiotherapy course! (Fingers crossed!)
This course has opened to my eyes to the unique and ever-changing characteristics of Sport as a whole. Both the Exercise and Business side of my course has demonstrated the interrelated dependency in the sporting realm and has allowed me to excel in my analytical, and practical skills to assist in my future career path.
My advice to future students is to find a degree that revolves around something that you love or are passionate about. If you do this, you will never study a day in your life again – there is a constant drive to continually learn, develop and grow your knowledge and skills and that initiative opens so many doors that you never thought possible!
