Alana Leabeater

I grew up in north-western Sydney with my parents, older sister and our beloved curly-haired puppy. I always played a lot of different sports but especially loved running and swimming. At school, I was involved in almost everything I could be; from sports, debating and public speaking to writing workshops, science excursions and drama classes. I enjoyed high school, but I certainly have opinions on the current HSC system which I feel is very one-dimensional. 

After Year 12, I took a gap year and worked at a boarding school in the UK, which really changed my perspective on the world and inspired me to keep travelling as much as I can. During my gap year I also started competing in triathlons, and am now competing at an international level with aspirations for greater success in the years to come.

I have always been fascinated with human performance, from my early days of training and competition in running, swimming and netball. I also loved PDHPE at school and my teacher in Year 12 suggested I might enjoy a career in sports science after we had been visited by a member of the sports science team at the Parramatta Eels. The day before UAC preferences were due, I switched my first preference from Communications (Journalism) to Sport & Exercise Science. While overseas on my gap year, I decided to combine it with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies because I wanted an opportunity to learn another language and travel as part of my tertiary education. I also wanted to diversify my skillset and believed the mix of degrees would make me a more well-rounded graduate.

Honestly, I chose UTS because my sister was already going to UTS, and she loved it! It was also the only university at the time that offered the unique degree combination I chose, and UTS to me seemed more progressive than other universities in Sydney.

My In-Country Study in Argentina in 2018 was the most defining year of my life so far. It was such a rewarding, yet challenging, experience, and I think about it almost every day. We arrived in Buenos Aires with very basic level Spanish, knowing no-one and never having travelled South America. We left with so many local and international friends, amazing travel experiences like hang-gliding in Rio de Janeiro, hiking in Patagonia, swimming in glittering blue cenotes in Mexico and sand-boarding in Chile, and a much deeper understanding of Argentinian culture and language that I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

Studying Sport and Exercise Science has exposed me to a level of high-performance sport that I’d never seen before. I’ve had some incredible opportunities like interning for the Penrith Panthers NRL, the NSW Institute of Sport and the NSW Swifts, and I was also lucky enough to volunteer at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. These experiences allowed me to trial different areas of the industry to see what I enjoy most – a chance to “career sample” to see what I want to specialise in later.

Combining it with International Studies helped me grow into a more independent and understanding person. Having to adapt to a ‘Latino’ way of life was very challenging for an A-type personality such as myself, and I brought home a much better understanding of what was important in my life, like being with family, being outside in nature and not having to do everything perfectly. Learning a language also challenged me academically, as it taught me to study in a non-linear way – i.e. not from textbooks and rote learning, but from real life experience where you make mistakes frequently and have to learn and adapt on the spot. 

Currently, I work for Triathlon NSW as a Junior Development Officer. However, as triathlon is such a small sport, we all help each other out, so I dabble in a lot of different areas of the office, like coaching, marketing and communications, athlete management and club administration.

I am also undertaking my Honours in Sport and Exercise Science this year, which I see as an opportunity to expand my research & writing skills while contributing to the current knowledge base of women’s team sport. I’m currently researching the AFLW draft combine and factors contributing to draft success in the women’s league, which so far has been really interesting. Following Honours, I have been considering switching tack and using my International Studies degree in a government role; however we’ll see what happens at the end of this year!

My advice to future students is this: a degree does not automatically open doors to your dream career. Unfortunately, a piece of paper now is only worth as much as the experiences and contacts you also bring to the table, so you have to be proactive and get out and try things while you’re an undergrad. Otherwise, you won’t know what you like and dislike and you won’t know what to pursue after graduation. This is especially true for Sport and Exercise Science, because there’s over 1500 graduates a year in Australia with this degree, and very few specific jobs in this area – so who you know is equally as important as what you know.

Also, what you get out of the degree is related to what you put into it. So, if you’re the sort of person that volunteers in class, contributes to group discussions and asks for feedback, you’re making good use of the amazing staff at UTS and the opportunities that are available to you.

I would also highly recommend doing student exchange and going overseas if you are able to. Travelling the world is such a valuable form of social capital that can open your eyes to things you’ve never seen before and different ways of life you’ve never experienced, and it might help you decide where you want to go in life. At the very least, you’ll have so much fun, make new friends and get to go to some really cool places, and all part of your tertiary education – who wouldn’t love that!  

Find out more about studying Sport and Exercise at UTS