roughout my whole life, I have been passionate about sports, specifically Football and Futsal.  Since Year 9 it has been my dream to have the opportunity to be the 2025 Sports Prefect.

Since coming to Queen’s, I have played several sports including Volleyball, Futsal, Football, Cross Country and Touch. Even though I wasn't the best in all of these sports, nor were they all my favourite sports, I am grateful that I had the chance to try out a good variety of sports both socially and competitively.  

I 100% recommend just signing up for a team, give the sport a try, as later on in life, you don’t have the same opportunities you currently have at school.  Because I enjoy sports and just being active, I have always been willing to try new things, even the small things like the dodgeball games in P.E. or training for a duathlon. I have learnt the importance of teamwork, being positive, being organised and most of all, how awesome it is to learn and know that you can do things that challenge you physically. 

Enjoying the moment, especially in our school years, is something else that I try to do. Every class, every sports team, every interval and lunchtime is a ‘moment’ to be enjoyed.  

Being in an environment in sports with others, who share the same passion as you, makes it feel like a place you want to be.  At Queens, I have been fortunate enough to have been put into sports teams with amazing teammates, coaches and managers, which make the experience much better, no matter if we win or lose. Travelling away for games and even the weekly games as well as tournaments, are always a highlight for me and something I look forward to. 

I think that having a support system that includes people from all of the different groups that you take part in is also very important, and sport has really given me these. 

From when I was about 5 all the way to 14, I did gymnastics. When I think back, what I know is that being with my friends was one of the key parts that kept me in that sport for so long. 

With the very high training hours, close to 20 hours a week, I had to put all my effort into gymnastics and did not have time for much else. I was at the gym almost the same amount of time as being at school. 

Over this time I created very strong friendships with my teammates as well as my school friends. At 14, deciding to quit felt like one of the hardest decisions of my life, but what I know is that leaving the childhood sport that I had taken part in for 8 years, was the right decision for me. I learnt so many important lessons from this sport, and I will keep them with me forever. 

Something I felt that was difficult to come to terms with once I quit gymnastics, was that I felt I had a slight disadvantage starting football later than the other players. 

But a quote from a famous Footballer Lionel Messi is “I always thought that if you want to be the best, you have to work harder than everyone else”. This tells me that without trying, I am not going to improve in any way, but working hard enough will get me to where I want to be. I am reminded that to achieve at high levels, I can't just wish for the opponent to be bad or lose but think about my personal performance and do the best that I can. 

I am so thankful for all of the opportunities I have been given here at Queen’s, and a lot of this is because of my parents, coaches, managers and teammates. Without their encouragement and support, I would not be where I am today. 

I am grateful to have this opportunity to be a Prefect this year, and I hope that I exceed your expectations. I am looking forward to working with you all in the sports area. Remember to enjoy your time, and don't stress about the small stuff. 

Thank you