Name: Andrew Hodgson

Age: 18

Subject: Sports Science

Year of study: 1st

Sport: Swimming; Sprint Freestyle and Middle distance backstroke

From: Blackpool, King Edward VII and Queen Mary School

Update

Recently competed for GB at the Queensland State swimming championships in Australia. Came away with 2 silver medals in 200m backstroke and 4x200m freestyle relay. Competing in 7 weeks in the British Championships, which act as the qualifying meet for the World Students Games team who will be competing in Bangkok.

How long have you been participating in your sport?

I lived on the Isle of Man till I was twelve and we moved to the UK, that’s when I begin to swim competitively. I have attended the National Championships every year since I was 12 and have been moving up in the rankings. I was quickest Junior in the Under 18 category in the UK.

I am still classed as a Junior swimmer but am now competing with the Seniors, I managed to come 7th in the 200m backstroke in the trials for the Commonwealth Games. I am now training and focusing on the trials for the 2008 Olympics.

Last year I started training professionally and began travelling to Swansea to train while completing my A-levels.

What is your average training schedule?

I train for 20 hours a week in the Wales National Pool Swansea and spend around 5 hours in the Unigym. We train 6am till 8am in the mornings, so it’s not a good idea to go out partying the night before. Fortunately there is a really supportive community of sportsmen and women here and we tend to socialise together. We understand that our training is more important than our social life, even if it seems a good idea at the time!

What facilities/kit do you use?

Travel expenses for training and attending competitions, plus we have to pay for our own accommodation and that can mean seven or eight days in a hotel. Our fast skin racing suits cost around £100, suffice to say every pound of the sporting scholarship will be spent and then some! The money has been a huge help and being awarded it is an important form of recognition.

What is your highest achievement in sport?

Representing the Great Britain Seniors in the European Short Course Championship for 100m freestyle and 200m Backstroke.

The Pool where we train is perfect- the boom can be raised in the middle so we can do long-course and short course training. Swansea has a lot of high achievers in Sport. They nurture their sports people, for example, paying accommodation fees for BUSA competitions.

Why did you choose to come to Swansea?

I was offered a scholarship to study in America in Columbia University, New York and was offered a substantial scholarship to attend Cambridge. But for me, when I was offered a place on the British Swimming Sprint Program, based in Swansea, I just knew I had to take it. Our coach, Bill Pilczuk, is the best in the U.K. and the training has taught me so much.

There is not much sponsorship for swimming in the UK compared to more popular sports. In America they pour money into their scholarships. Britain is catching up with them by developing better coaches, training and facilities, and it has the advantage of being smaller so you can build and retain a profile and hopefully represent your country, whereas in America you would probably be unknown and it is much harder to make an impact.

I joined the program before I came to university, travelling back and forth during the school holidays and 12 weeks out of term-time. I was 17 and living on my own, off-campus, with a professional footballer, a friend of my father’s. That teaches you to be independent and self-sufficient and it was a great introduction to Swansea.

Do you ever feel you are missing out on the ‘student experience’ because of your commitment to Swimming?

There are sacrifices to be made; I missed by Sixth Form Prom because of competitions, I don’t get to go mad at the weekends. Actually its not the social life that I miss, sometimes I wish I just had some free time. If I am not training then I am studying- but I am doing what I love and living life to the full. Not many people get a chance to follow their dream.

What advice would you give to students who are thinking of studying here?

It’s nice because the University and the city are just the right size; it’s easy to find your way around, it’s a really friendly place with a good nightlife and gorgeous location.

What is your ambition for the future?

2008 and 2012 Olympic trials are the big challenges that I need to focus on in the future. I have just moved up from the Juniors to the Seniors, so I am a long way from being fully developed and able to compete with the guys who are older and more experienced.

If I wasn’t a swimmer I would still be involved in sport, possibly coaching. I really enjoy studying Sport Science, particularly the Biomechanics, so I would have chosen to study it regardless I think.

Which sporting figures do you most admire?

Michael Jordan because he is not just a brilliant sportsman, he is also a great role model. On the court he scores huge points and off the court he seems like a genuine, nice guy. He comes across as intelligent in Press conferences, demonstrating his knowledge of his sport.

Of course he is also the best basketball player in the world- and if that’s not your aim when you compete at a sport, you shouldn’t be doing it.

Do you think you can achieve your sporting aspirations by studying in Swansea?

Definitely, Swansea is the best place for me to advance as a Swimmer and academically. I could have decided to train full-time but without something else to focus on you can become lethargic between sessions, sleeping the day away only to get up and train again. It is really positive to be challenged mentally because it makes you a more well rounded person. Even if I do become a professional swimmer, it could all be over by the time I am 25 and then you need other skills to move on to something else.

All the greatest sports stars continued with their education to a certain level it helps to be well rounded and have some life-experience to adopt the best mental attitude. I have found that living within a multi-cultural student community prepares for international competitions, and vice-versa.