Yesterday afternoon, the Sixth Form had the privilege of hearing from Renee Busch, a current Women’s British Basketball League player and former National Collegiate Athletic Association athlete.

Renee talked about the lessons she has learnt about going pro and how to deal with the mental and physical challenges of being a woman in sport. She emphasised the role of consistent practice and positive self-talk for success in any life pursuit, as well as sharing various helpful ways to deal with stress and nervousness before important events, and gave us insights into how she balanced her life as a young student-athlete.

We were all extremely grateful for such an informative and unconventional talk and this was reiterated by the myriad questions we asked at the end. Most importantly, Renee talked about the necessity of having a day job and back-up plan whilst pursuing a career in sport as a woman. She exceeded our expectations and applied her tips to our everyday lives, specifically describing how sometimes it is wise to change your ‘goal’ in life and divert from your original path. She also highlighted the importance of reminding ourselves that what we do “on the court”  doesn’t define who we are as people.

Overall, this was a fascinating and engaging talk from a very inspiring athlete. Thank you so much to Renee for visiting us!

Prisha Malhotra, Lower Sixth