Dietetics student Hungary for success at European competition

A Human Nutrition and Dietetics student is preparing to represent her University and country this summer.

Amy Luke first got involved in karate 15 years ago and has went on to compete at European and World Championships.

She started her degree at GCU last September and has remained committed to her chosen sport, with an appearance at the European Universities Combat Sports Championships in Hungary just around the corner.

Amy said: “My dad’s done martial arts for years: boxing, judo, karate. When I started high school, he was quite adamant that I wasn’t going down the line of youth drinking and partying. I’m really grateful he did but at first I was properly embarrassed and didn’t tell anyone I did karate!

“I think part of it was he maybe wanted me to pick a sport where I can defend myself because I’m quite short. I literally picked karate because it was the closest thing to my house at the time. I was only twelve and I really didn’t want to go because I thought it would be boring. I then started fighting and I realised I loved it – it’s been such a big part of my life ever since.”

Now an experienced athlete, Amy will team up with other students from around the UK in the cities of Debrecen and Miskolc this July.

“The competition is basically being held at two big Universities in Hungary, about two hours from Budapest. We’re staying in University accommodation and we’ll be assigned a roommate. I’d imagine I’ll know a lot of the competitors,” explained Amy.

“GCU paid my deposit, which I’m really grateful for. The travel arrangements mean I’m going to be there for about a week, but I’ll be making sure I savour every moment.

“I went to BUCS in February and got bronze, but I actually fought in a higher weight division than I was used to. I’m looking forward to this experience and fighting in my actual weight category.”

Amy added: “I think some people really underplay how high a standard it actually is at these competitions.

“The education system is set up differently in the likes of France and Turkey to the point where the individuals will basically be fully-funded by the University and complete their degree over eight years, rather than the four years we have here. At the same time. they’ll also compete in their sport and are paid to compete in that sport. Even using this competition as an example, I’ve got to take a week off work to compete, which is a tough decision in a cost of living crisis.

“The way I look at it is I’m never going to be this young or this athletic again. Time goes in pretty fast so I might as well enjoy competing while I can.”

Amy, who will be fighting in the minus-55kg category this summer, is hoping to gain the edge over her opponents thanks to knowledge gained from her BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics degree.

She said: “I wasn’t really fueling my body the way I should have when I previously turned up at competitions; I was kind of winging it. I decided to take some action and qualified as a personal trainer about six years ago.

“I then wanted to learn more, and the only way to be qualified in nutrition is to get a degree in nutrition and dietetics. That definitely gave me the motivation to come to University, which is something I wouldn’t have seen myself doing a few years ago.”

Amy added: “There’s definitely a lot of false information out there around diet and nutrition – even what I was taught as a personal trainer is different to what I’m taught now. I’m actually learning the science and recognising the biochemistry behind everything.

“The degree has definitely helped me understand more about my anatomy and physiology. It has also been hugely beneficial for me learning how to manage everything that also impacts me as a woman in terms of menstrual cycle and weight fluctuation.

“Hopefully everything I now know will benefit me in Hungary. I’m really looking forward to it!”

Find out more about GCU’s Human Nutrition and Dietetics course here

By Ross Clark             
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter