Balancing sport and studies: Leah Crisp and Keanna MacInnes on the juggling act

The football fever and tennis tournament season may be over, but the ‘summer of sport’ is only just getting started. It’s time to say ‘Bonjour’ to the four-yearly 2024 Summer Games. Taking place in the French capital, the official opening ceremony takes place this Friday with a parade on the Seine and we’re buzzing.

According to YouGov, 56% of Brits say they can’t wait to tune into this year’s tournament, and it’s no surprise with its incred sporting schedule, including this year’s debut of break dancing and the return of skateboarding. And with the recent tease of athlete sporting kits, it’s even being dubbed the most stylish games of all-time.

Amongst the array of athletes competing on behalf of Britain this year, many are students. Exams ticked off the list, now for the worldwide tournament which is predicted to be watched by one billion people globally. No sweat! 😮‍💨

Ahead of the sporting action in Paris, our UNiDAYS team chatted with student-athletes, Keanna MacInnes and Leah Crisp, who will both compete at the Games this summer. From sharing how they juggle swimming and studies on the daily, to discussing their post-university career dreams, Keanna and Leah have must-read, inspiring stories.

Source: Forth Valley

Meet Keanna: GBR Swimmer | Art & Design Student | Psychology Graduate

Insta: @keanna_macinnes

Keanna MacInnes has ‘dreamed about this moment her whole life’, as she will be making her Paris 2024 debut this month in the 200M Butterfly. Born in Edinburgh, Keanna already has a BSc Psychology undergraduate degree under her belt and is currently studying for degree number two, a BA Art & Design course.

Read on for our Q&A with Keanna, including how she has juggled multiple degrees at the University of Stirling, becoming a swimming athlete and even finding the time to be a pro nail technician 💅

How has qualifying for this year’s summer games affected you at this time in your life?

“It's really different to any normal year because there's so much more exposure around the event and I’m still getting used to dealing with the media interest, but I guess it's just quite exciting to be broadcast on a national level and to put my message across.”

How has the University of Stirling supported you with the balancing act?

“The University of Stirling is the best centre in Scotland for swimming and it suits my personality probably more than anywhere else in the UK because it's a lot smaller and there's a lot more one-to-one focus. It's also very much tailored to your own needs and there's a really good support system around university work and swimming.

“Stirling puts all lectures online as they record them and you can listen back which is really helpful for us as we sometimes miss lectures for training. Also, deadline flexibility extensions when required.”

Source: The Times

What made you apply to study BA Art & Design at Forth Valley College?

“There's nothing else to take my focus away from swimming so I think being a student is actually the more ideal lifestyle for me at the moment. I chose Art & Design because it's more of a relaxed course for me and I’m just trying not to put too much pressure on myself and doing something I enjoy rather than the career focus. I’d definitely say it's a lot more of a relaxing thing than coming home to do a psychology essay”.

Do you have any favourite aspects of your BA Art & Design degree so far?

“Last year, we did lots of experimentation and an Artist hosted a mini module focused on glass work. I really enjoyed that, but I’d say I'm more focused towards painting and acrylic paint as my strengths. I did very much enjoy doing the things that I wouldn't have got to do if I hadn't had access to the facilities at the university. I don’t have access to a kiln at home for me to experiment with ceramics or glass, so I really enjoyed getting to try new things.”

Source: @keanna_macinnes

How do you juggle studying, swimming and being a nail technician?

“Something I've realised, which I think a lot of athletes would agree with, is that when you're busy and you're on a roll you are a lot more productive actually than when you do have spare time. When you are off at the end of the season it's so easy to be like oh I’ve got ages to do this now, whereas when you know you've got to do it you just kind of get it done I’d say, which is probably something that comes with being an athlete. If I'm busy during the day I won't get as tired but when you stop, I feel like it can be quite difficult to start again.”

Do you feel that juggling swimming and schooling helped to prepare you for university?

“I’d say I’m pretty good because of growing up balancing swimming with school and coming from having huge long days where I had trained before school and then did school and homework, then further training after school. Being at university is actually much more relaxed than that, especially getting rid of the early mornings and managing your own time.”

If you were to advise athletes on a similar journey around balancing study and sport, what would you tell them?

“Pick your priority. It might be like 60-40 or whatever but if you maybe are overwhelmed with it you can choose to focus more on one aspect and then you're not failing at the other one you're just prioritising that. I guess also not putting too much pressure on yourself - it is either sport or it's academics. Realistically a degree is four years long and after you've done that you can focus on swimming or likewise you can hold off on doing a degree your whole life so you can always you can always redo it.”

Source: BBC

What does the future look like for you post-university?

“My current plan is to keep swimming and finish my Art & Design degree and then after that, I’ll probably look at doing a Masters or PHD in relationship psychology. That's what I focused my dissertation on and I’m interested in going down the social psychology route.”

Final question - what are you most looking forward to for the summer games?

“I think the biggest thing for me will be the crowd and the spectators. Also, because it's so close to the UK, it is like having the closest thing to a home games as you could get so there should be a lot of British supporters out there.

“Although I've competed at major sporting events previously, it's just nothing compared to this arena and spectators, so that would be my top one. I’m also just excited to be in the village and representing the team. It’s such a proud thing for me because it is something I've dreamed about my whole life. My family and my boyfriend and my boyfriend's family are all coming out to support me”.

Source: Team Bath

Meet Leah: GMR Marathon Swimmer | Economics & Mathematics Student

Insta: @leah.crisp

Leah Crisp is ‘over the moon’ to be making her major games debut in Paris this week as a Solo Female Marathon Swimmer. Born in Wakefield, Leah also recently graduated this month from the University of Bath with a BSc in Economics and Mathematics degree. Major congrats to Leah! 🎉 An unforgettable summer szn, indeed.

Read on for our Q&A with Leah, including how she balanced studying an undergraduate degree alongside swimming, and even taking the 800m Freestyle title at the 2022 British Swimming Championships.

When did your swimming journey begin?

“My swimming journey began when I was about 8 years old. I joined a local learn to swim program and was eventually scouted to join the City of Leeds Swimming Club which I was a part of from the ages of 8-18. Going to watch the swimming at the London 2012 games is what really inspired me to want to pursue the dream, then in 2014 I won my first national age group medals which is when I really knew it was what I wanted to strive for.”

Do you feel balancing swimming and schooling prepared you for juggling university studies and sport?

“Balancing my sports and studies throughout my time in high school definitely helped to prepare me for balancing swimming and studies at university. It taught me vital time management skills and how to really prioritise my time to achieve the best results possible in and out of the pool. I found when I moved to university I was able to easily settle into a routine between the two, having swam competitively throughout my entire time in high school.”

Source: Swimming.org

What is a typical daily routine for you juggling swimming and studying?

“A typical day for me will be a 7:00 am wakeup to get to the pool for 7:40 am to do some pre-pool mobility and activation prep before my swim session (8:00-10:30). On some days I then have gym until around 11:30 and then I go to find somewhere on campus to study. I then do any revision/ work I currently have ongoing and catch up on any lectures I may have missed while in the pool. At 15:00 I do some capacity pre-pool work before getting back in the pool for my second session 15:30-18:00. After this I head back home and cook dinner / do any chores I have to do then either chill with my housemates.“

How has the University of Bath supported you since qualifying for the games?

“The University of Bath has been incredibly supportive of my sporting ambitions. Firstly I have been the recipient of a Santander sports scholarship throughout my time at university which has greatly helped in covering some of the costs that come with elite sports. I have also been able to split my final university year to sit over two academic years which really helped me to manage my studies alongside swimming.”

Source: @leah.crisp

Is there anything you do in particular to prepare for both athletic events and exams?

“I like to listen to music a lot when I’m preparing for an exam or a race. I quite enjoy the feeling of being able to block everything else out and just focus on the task at hand. Other than that I just like to do everything I can to remain relaxed as I know that’s when I perform my best!”

Have you met fellow athletes who are also students and gained any learnings on balancing university studies?

“I have a few teammates who also study, though they aren’t on the competing team this year but going through training and studying and exam seasons together has really helped me. Everyone deals with stress in different ways and it's nice to see how others deal with it and bounce off of that. It's also nice to know there are people around you with similar experiences to you.”

Source: leah_crisp | X

If you were to give any advice to aspiring Olympic athletes, what would you want to tell them about balancing a degree and professional sport?

“I would tell them that routine is key and that downtime should be included in that routine. It’s so important to take a moment to step back and breathe from time to time and celebrate the little wins along the way to help you avoid feeling too overwhelmed. I would also recommend making sure you keep good communication with your coach and support staff about academic pressures you’re facing so they’re able to help assist you where they can. Some days will be hard but you just need to have faith in yourself and lean on those around you.”

What are you aiming for post-university once you have completed your Economics and Mathematics degree?

“I am first taking some time to just focus on my swimming. I would like to really make a big break onto the open water world stage and hopefully be able to win a medal at an international level. I am still quite new to the discipline and always learning so I am excited to see what the future holds for my swimming career. After swimming I would like to look at a career in either data analysis or health economics as these are both paths I would like to pursue.”

Finally, with less than a week to go, what aspects are you most looking forward to at the summer games?

“I am looking forward to experiencing what it is like to be a part of the village and be amongst the world's best athletes and soak up the atmosphere, it’s every athlete’s dream, so I’m just excited to get in there and enjoy the atmosphere and really appreciate the scale of the event I am so lucky to be a part of.”

Source: World Aquatics

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