Alice is a PhD student at Hartpury focusing on childhood obesity, physical activity and motor skill development. In 2018, Sport England found that just 16% of children aged between 7 and 11 in Gloucestershire were meeting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. At this age, a child’s central nervous system develops quickly, allowing for accelerated skill acquisition.
"I’m working closely with primary schools across the county to improve the movement, physical activity and general health of their pupils.
The new Sports Academy building gives me access to all the facilities I could need for my research, including anti-gravity treadmills and an altitude chamber. The staff show continuous support and are always on hand to answer the questions I have. We use these facilities to run fitness fun afternoons for local primary school children, where they take part in engaging and physically active learning sessions.
I’m the Sport Arena’s first PhD student and it’s an exciting time to be here. I’m on a PhD studentship, which means the university pays my tuition fees, as well as paying me a stipend towards living costs."
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