STUDENT Emma Bartlett from Warrington has been chosen to represent Team GB at the World University Games taking place in Chinese Taipei this summer.
Emma aged 25, a Medical Education postgraduate student at Keele University, will take to the pool as part of Great Britain’s Water Polo team.
Emma’s attendance at the Games, which takes place between 19-30 August, is being funded by Keele University through its Keele Key Fund – a charitable fund that provides grants across the University thanks to donations from alumni and other University friends and supporters.
Speaking before she travels to Taipei City, Emma said: “I was really excited when I was picked to play for Great Britain. I’ve always been a swimmer and I’ve been racing since I was seven-years-old. I started playing water polo 11 years ago and when I started at Keele I joined several swimming clubs and continued playing for the Manchester Water Polo team.
“I’m really excited about representing Great Britain, I’ve never been to a multi-sport event before. I’ve had so much support during my time at Keele University, the sports centre has been great and offered me access to their facilities.”
Emma, from Warrington, also studied Medicine for five years at Keele and until July this year was a full-time doctor at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Trauma and Orthopaedics. In September, as well as doing her Postgraduate studies, Emma will be joining Keele’s School of Medicine as a Clinical Teaching Fellow.
Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University, said: “I am delighted that Emma will be representing both Team GB and Keele this summer. It’s thanks to generous donations to the Key Fund that we are able to support students to continue competing at high levels in sports whilst gaining a high quality education here at Keele. It’s another example of the Keele Difference.
“As well as supporting the Talented Athlete Programme and other sport-related projects, the Keele Key Fund offers financial support to all areas of the University. It helps us to ensure that no student’s future should be dictated by their background, providing financial support where needed to help them to fully participate in the Keele experience.”
For further information about the Keele Key Fund, please visit www.keele.ac.uk/keelekeyfund.
