Ilqua Tahir

• Year of graduation: 2023
• Current job title: Academy Physiotherapist
• Current employer: NTFC and NTFC Community Trust
• Industry sector: Sport

I chose to study this course at UON as the University has established a benchmark in the field of sport. Also, I had previous experience of working with disabled athletes, so UON seemed like a great fit for me.

I really enjoyed the practical sessions of the course, where we conducted various testing protocols. This experience was completely new for me and was therefore quite challenging, however with the immense guidance of my Programme Leader, as well as the UON Sports Scientist, I was able to successfully implement all the protocols.

As part of my studies, I completed a placement at Northampton Town Football Club (NTFC) Community Trust, within the England Football Association Emerging Talent Centre project. I worked as a physiotherapist, which included providing rehabilitation services to female athletes of different age groups. This benefitted me enormously, as it expanded my practical experience within the field of sport, and I was able to achieve the status of Chartered Physiotherapist. It also enabled me to develop some key employability skills, including interpersonal skills and professional relations, managerial expertise, and an excellent level of communication.

I believe all students should be actively involved in sports departmental activities and my advice to anyone looking for a placement in this area would be to keep an eye out for the different placement opportunities that arise every few months. Once you’ve applied, keep in touch with your Programme Leaders and the UON Applied Sports Scientist. I also think that evaluation of your own strengths and weaknesses is important prior to starting any placement.

Studying this course enabled me to develop practical skills in physiotherapy, which was highly important for my future career, as it gave me the opportunity to pursue the England Football Association project, Emerging Talent Centre. I also gained an understanding of posture and biomechanics, as well as a thorough knowledge of strength and conditioning. The learning and practical experience I gained at UON will be sufficient for me to establish a career in my home country as well.

After completing a five-year degree of Doctor of Physiotherapy, I started my career as a physiotherapist. I then gained clinical experience in spinal cord injury and achieved spine physiotherapist specialist certification from the European Centre of Continuing Education Learning Institution (eccElearning). My next career milestone was reached when I was registered as a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Physiotherapist, and subsequently a Chartered Physiotherapist.

If I could give any prospective students a piece of advice, it would be that there may be times in all our lives when we start to lose hope because of the continuous challenges we may face. However, if we believe in ourselves and are resilient, we can change the whole game. I had an amazing experience at UON – I met and gained knowledge from brilliant professors and sports scientists.