Sileena Farrell who studied Level 3, Sport and Personal Training at North Kent College was offered an exclusive scholarship at Northwestern State University (NSU) in Louisiana back in September 2022. Majoring in Health and Exercise Science, Sileena began her studies in America and is currently progressing well in her new life in the USA.
Sileena chose to pursue her dream to become a Sport Physiotherapist and continue her dedication to track and field in the United States after receiving her scholarship. However, it should be noted that this is not an easy route, being a student-athlete does come with a lot of responsibility. American college systems emphasis the “student” part of the phrase student-athlete, meaning you must reach all academic requirements and take your studies very seriously to progress and compete for the College.
An example of a typical day for Sileena would be a 7am start with stretches and yoga before morning classes. After lunch Sileena makes her way to pre-treatment, practice for 3-4 hours including weight training then ending the day with post-treatment and dinner before then finishing assignments and preparations for the day ahead.
As far as sporting commitments are concerned, these can be anything fromworking fundraising events, cross country events, helping with the American football games and keeping on top of all her classes.
Lorraine Blue, Head of Curriculum (Personal Training & Sports Therapy, said “Sileena was an asset to the Personal Training department while she studied at the college. She was enthusiastic and passionate about her course choice and during her time at college her confidence continued to grow. As an athlete she had the discipline and motivation for training others, and we are so proud of everything she achieved and continues to achieve in the USA.”