[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The newly created Society of Sports Therapists Travelling Scholarship to St Clair College, Windsor, Ontario has been awarded to University of Hertfordshire Graduate Leslie Smith.
Leslie, who recently gained a First Class Honours degree in Sports Therapy, will be the first Society Member to take up this award. On hearing he had been selected to travel to Canada he said: ‘I feel overjoyed and a little overwhelmed as well.’
The trip will see Leslie based in the St Clair Athletic Therapy clinic where he will spend time alongside Head Athletic Therapist Kim Stroesser and staff. He will also have the chance to accompany college teams during training and match preparation, and visit other centres and clinics, as well as meet with Sport, Exercise and Therapy specialists in Windsor.
First Class Honours students from 25 Society accredited universities were given the opportunity to submit video applications for this national award and following scrutiny by a panel of 7 judges, 5 finalists were selected for interview.
Kim Stroesser, Head of Athletic Therapy at the College flew in from Canada specifically for the interviews and was joined by Professor Graham N. Smith, Chairman of The Society of Sports Therapists and Maggie McNerney, Director of Charles Whitney Limited, the Marketing and PR company for the Society.
Professor Smith said:
‘As I always seem to say after these Travelling Scholarship interviews, I find them one of the hardest things to do because of the high standard quality of the young graduates whom we are interviewing.
‘I also feel very proud of what our accredited universities are producing. Interviewing Leslie reinforced not only the quality of the programme but the calibre of graduates entering the Sport and Exercise Therapy profession.
‘Leslie will be an excellent ambassador for The Society of Sports Therapists and the University of Hertfordshire and I know that during his time with Kim Stroesser at St Clair, he will continue to build on what is already an extremely outstanding level of knowledge and expertise.’
Recognising the role his tutors have played in his studies Leslie said:
‘I would like to say a massive thank you to all of the Sports Therapy staff at the University of Hertfordshire who have played such an important part in my studies and getting me this far.’
Leslie, has already secured employment with the FAST Clinic in Cambridge where he spent his placement year. There he joins two former Society of Sports Therapists Bruce Hobbs Scholarship winners Megan Williams and Richard Luddington.
Congratulations Leslie and enjoy the experience.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]