When I was younger, I always knew I wanted to be a part of the sports industry. I was never aware that horseracing would be an option for me, but today I am a Career Marketing and Recruitment Assistant at the British Horseracing Authority.

My journey initially started when receiving an unconditional offer to the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB Wembley) to study Football Business and Marketing. During the three years I spent at UCFB, I was a part of the Women’s Academy where I was able to pursue my love for football whilst studying it. After volunteering at a few football clubs as a Social Media Executive I gained sufficient experience and realised that I wanted to remain in the sporting community showcasing the skills that were developed through these opportunities. It was unbeknown to me that I could use the skills developed in football and transfer them to a different sport such as Horseracing.

This led to attending a networking event with Careers in Racing, resulting in finding the new path I wanted to take. After networking with the Careers in Racing team I started volunteering as a content creator for their Youth Collaboration Group (YCG) to add to my bank of experience and skills. As a result of this, I was fortunate to go behind the scenes on multiple race days and showcase the work that goes on at a race day that customers do not get to see. This work only pushed me to fall in love with the sport even more and apply for the British Horseracing Development Programme 2023.

The British Horseracing Development Programme allowed me to mix with a group of individuals who also shared a passion and love for the industry. During my time on this programme, I learned so much about Horseracing as a whole and networked with professionals in the sport who shared their experiences with me. As a part of this programme, I was put on an 8-week placement with Sky Sports Racing / At the Races to continue to learn about horseracing whilst working within it. My time at Sky Sports involved working with a range of departments including Marketing, Finance, Web Editorial, Commercial, HR and Production. This work placement helped me to network with professionals in horse racing and even shadow the producers and presenters. I will always be grateful for the experience gained through this work placement as it motivated me to continue to pursue a career in horseracing.

My journey has now taken me to the British Horseracing Authority where I am a part of the Careers in Racing team working as a Careers Marketing and Recruitment Assistant. This role allows me to learn something new every day and delve deeper into the sport.

Some advice I would like to share would be to never give up, you are worthy of pursuing whatever path you want to, if you put your mind to it. Be sure to showcase your talents and network at any given opportunity.