College Teacher Clinches Role at Commonwealth Games
College comes at a crucial point in life for most people, where you begin to lay the foundations for your career, and for your future. When building for this exciting future, it’s important to be surrounded by experienced individuals who are in the know, and have developed knowledge and skills in industries and jobs that matter to you.
That is precisely why we at North Notts College work with immensely talented and experienced teachers and staff, who call upon their knowledge and experience from industry everyday.
A prime example of combining industry experience with teaching knowledge is one of the College’s tremendous teachers, Elizabeth Birdsall, Programme Leader for Sport and Public Services, who has recently been accepted to undertake a voluntary role at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham alongside her teaching role.
During the College summer break, Elizabeth will be part of the Swimming and Para Swimming Field of Play Team, where she will take on a supportive role to assist the Technical Officials and ensure that the FINA (International Swimming Federation) regulations are being upheld during the games.
Elizabeth was full of excitement when speaking about the opportunity.
She said: “I really wasn’t expecting to get the position, so to know that I’m going to the games this summer is an amazing feeling – I’m so excited!”
Like most of our teaching staff, Elizabeth has turned her passion into her career. She has been an avid swimmer for over 30 years and has competed in both swimming and water polo. At the age of 16, after hanging up her competitive swim cap, she decided to try her hand at coaching. Alongside her coaching, Elizabeth found that judging and officiating were just as exciting and completed her Judge and Starter Level 1 and 2 qualifications.
Speaking about how her experiences in aquatic sports have helped her teach and work with students, Elizabeth underlined the importance of passion and commitment.
She said: “I believe that putting effort and time into something that you’re passionate about is one of the best lessons that students can learn.
“All of my roles at events and competitions have been voluntary, but I reap the rewards of these experiences everyday in my teaching role and in general life. I get to witness global
events and work with talented individuals from all over the world and learn from professionals from a whole host of sporting backgrounds.”
Elizabeth has worked at countless events since starting out at the age of 16, with the British Swimming Championships, Invictus Games, BUCS (British Universities and College Sports) and Swimming Nationals being amongst the most noteworthy.
After the Commonwealth Games, she has her sights on the next big event.
She explained: “I am currently in the process of applying for the FINA Starter Development Programme, which is a four year development programme which will allow me to officiate at the highest level.
“There will be a lot of work to get there, but my ultimate goal is to get to a level where I can volunteer at the Olympics.”
Everyone at North Notts College wishes the best of luck to Elizabeth in her amazing role alongside her teaching responsibilities.
Make sure to follow the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, starting on the 28th of July 2022.