Sport has always been a big part of James Levick’s life, but in between his corporate role with the Australian Taxation Office and a brief stint serving in the Australian Army, there wasn’t a lot of room for him to take his passion to the next level.
“I thought in another life I’d probably pursue a pathway in sports development because I’ve always enjoyed playing and watching sport, and exercise and fitness has always made me feel great,” he said.
So, when the COVID-19 lockdowns hit and the doors to explore this parallel reality were flung wide open, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science at UNE.
“I like what I do, but I had one of those moments where I asked myself, ‘if I could go back to the start knowing everything I do now, what would I have done differently?'” he says. “I figured there was no better time to start that second journey!”
I am fascinated by all the highly unique and individual responses we have to exercise and how practitioners can craft programs that help individuals to find their optimal best.
From there, James opened his laptop and began a three-year online study journey from his home in Newcastle, NSW.
Fast forward to today, and he’s now a qualified sport scientist after graduating at UNE’s Winter ceremony on campus in Armidale.
“Studying a science-related discipline was totally different for me than what I’ve usually studied,” he says.
“There was a different vocabulary, way of writing and way of structuring arguments than in a business-related field, so there was some challenge in adapting my brain to that more scientific language.”
Despite it being a whole new ball game, he found exercise science to be a perfect match.
