I left Chilton Trinity School in July 2006 clear set on a career in the music business and started on a BTEC 1st Diploma in Music at Bridgwater College. This was a very enjoyable course but was not what I wanted to do. After just a year I left and began working in supermarkets and as a cashier at the bookmakers, William Hill.

Aged 22 with no real prospects and no career opportunities, I decided to re-evaluate my life. I enrolled on an Access to Teaching course at Bridgwater College with the aim of progressing to a University level course, to help achieve a goal of becoming a teacher. I understood that education would provide me with the skills and qualifications I would need to gain a job that would challenge me and enable me to have a career.

The course was hard, so much work, but so rewarding, all with the goal of going onto the HND Sport Science course. It was excellent preparation for returning to education and learning the skills I would need to progress onto my next course.

The HND Sport Science programme is a university level course which required me to study the human body, the impact of exercise on the body and means of testing and reviewing these. In addition, we were required to understand what factors affect performance, both physically, psychologically and sociological. The course was assessed through coursework which enabled me to further my knowledge and understanding of the world of sport and I could apply this to my own sport participation.

During the course I had many possible distractions, my girlfriend and I had our first child, I was training for cycling events, working longer hours in William Hill and I was on a manager promotion programme. I am also playing lots of music with my band, Levi And The Bean, a popular local band.

In 2015 I completed my HND Sport Science course with a Distinction, one of the highest grades on my course. I am due to study my final year at University of Gloucester, where I will study Applied Sports Science which will enhance my HND to a BSc (Hons) Degree. I am still planning to continue my dream of becoming a teacher by completing a PGCE on completion of my Degree.

My tutor has been such an inspiration, he has continued to push me, to question me, to help me to achieve my best and has such passion for his subjects. He makes every one of his students feel special and that they can achieve their dreams.