Swim star Ulyett hopes to build on breakthrough 2017
BEING a student-athlete is undoubtedly hard, trying to mix training like a full-time athlete with studying for a degree, however it’s the route that so many youngsters chose to take. With Loughborough University the best place in Britain to combine the two, why then could swimmer Jocelyn Ulyett be one of the best yet?
Arriving at Loughborough as a relative unknown, Ulyett has made a real splash in the swimming world, breaking a British record and finishing ninth at the World Championships in a magical 2017 breakthrough season. But balance is the key for the Geography and Business Management student as she ensures her studies don’t go neglected.
“Initially it was really difficult to balance being a student and swimmer but I didn’t come to Loughborough as a swimmer at this level – I developed through the years and as my swimming has progressed people have been so supportive. I studied full-time for the first two years but in my final year I have stretched my programme, which has made it a lot easier to balance my swimming and my studying.”
One man who can take a lot of credit for Ulyett’s meteoric rise is Loughborough University Swim Coach Ian Hulme.
“Jocelyn’s journey is a little bit unique, in that she wasn’t a junior international and she actually came here, not to belittle her, as a very average swimmer. She was good, but nowhere near world class. Straight away I saw she had a lot of potential; by her second year she was doing times in training that I thought would see her make a big jump at some point. It didn’t happen for a little while but everything came together in 2017 at the World Trials, where she broke the British record and qualified for her first ever senior team, which was the shock of the meet.
“The 200m breaststroke in this country is so strong and to make a GB team she has to beat two Olympic finalists; she did a time at that meet that if she’d have done 12 months earlier would have won her bronze at the Olympic Games.”
And it’s safe to say Ulyett was as shocked with her performance as everyone else.
“At the British Championships, I PB’d in the heats and then went into the final quite open minded – I knew I could go faster but I didn’t expect to swim 2.22.08! I was in a good place mentally and physically and things just clicked.
“When I touched I couldn’t believe it – I had to look up at the scoreboard several times to make sure the time was next to my name! I also remember looking up at my mum and saw she was crying and then I looked across to my coach and the Loughborough guys, and they were all going crazy. That’s when I knew that was definitely my time but it just felt so surreal – sometimes I still can’t believe it!”
Well, she better believe it, as with a British title and British record to her name, along with a first GB appearance at last summer’s World Championships, Ulyett is making the trip down under for her first Commonwealth Games. The goal?
“At Commies, I don’t want to focus on my time or place, but I want to implement what I learnt at World Championships, because I don’t want to miss out on the final by 0.01.”
What makes it even better is that her coach Ian is going with her.
“Last year she made the World Championships but I had to watch from the comfort of my own home, but this time to be there as part of the Team England staff and be able to support her at the meet is just great.”
Despite her rapid rise to the top, the bubbly 22-year-old is quick to credit those who’ve helped her.
“I came here as a national level swimmer but throughout my time here training under Ian everything has just fallen into place. An environment like this just encourages development and enjoyment of the sport - you have access to such amazing facilities and you’re in the best place in the country, if not the world, for swimming.”