Elif: GB biathlon and Medicine at the University of Nottingham

Elif achieved A*AA alongside an A in her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) while also balancing the demands of training and competing as a GB biathlete. She will now spend a gap year in Sweden before taking up her deferred place to study Medicine at the University of Nottingham.

During her five years at Sedbergh, Elif’s sporting commitments regularly took her away from School for training camps and competitions. She describes how teachers, tutors and House staff worked with her to ensure that she could continue pursuing biathlon without losing sight of her academic ambitions.

Her next step brings those two strands together. At Mid Sweden University, Elif will study Environmental Science and Swedish through a dual-career programme while training full-time at World Cup biathlon facilities, before returning to the UK to begin Medicine.

Here, she reflects on the discipline required to combine elite sport and academic study, the support that made it possible, and why an unexpected opportunity in Sweden changed her plans for the year ahead.

How did you feel when you saw your results?

When I saw my results, I was overjoyed and relieved. It was a great feeling to see all the hard work pay off.

You’re spending your gap year in Sweden. What will you be doing there, and how does that fit with your biathlon training and your plans before starting Medicine at Nottingham?

While in Sweden, I’ll be studying Environmental Science and Swedish at Mid Sweden University. The university runs a dual-career programme, which allows me to study while continuing to train full-time in biathlon at their World Cup facilities.

I’m also supported by Swedish coaches during my time there, and hopefully I’ll compete for GB again this season. It’s a great opportunity to continue developing in biathlon while also doing something academically different before starting Medicine.

After your gap year, you’re heading to the University of Nottingham to study Medicine. What are you most looking forward to about that next step?

I’m very excited to dive into Medicine and start learning about something I’ve wanted to study for a long time. I’m also looking forward to the challenge and experience of university life after spending the last few years balancing School with biathlon.

You’ve balanced your studies at Sedbergh with training and competing as a GB biathlete, which has sometimes meant being away from School. How has Sedbergh supported you in managing those two commitments?

Sedbergh has been immensely supportive over the past five years, allowing me to take as much time away from School as I needed in order to continue competing.

My tutors and House staff have always had my back, helping me make decisions and discussing with teachers the best way to keep me on top of my work. My subject teachers were also incredibly helpful; they went out of their way to provide detailed lesson plans and all the worksheets I needed before I left for camps or competitions.

That made completing the work while I was away much easier, and I’m hugely grateful for the support I received.

Has your biathlon pathway influenced the decisions you’ve made about what comes next — particularly your gap year in Sweden and your longer-term plans to study Medicine?

Taking a gap year was heavily influenced by the amazing opportunity I was offered in Sweden and the chance to focus on biathlon for a year.

Medicine is already a very long course, so originally I hadn’t even considered taking a gap year. However, when I was offered the opportunity to really focus on biathlon while also studying in Sweden, it was something I couldn’t pass up.

What has balancing elite sport with demanding academic work taught you about discipline, resilience and managing pressure?

Balancing sport and academics hasn’t always been easy. Throughout my A levels, I definitely struggled at points.

When I was away on training camps, staying disciplined and committing time to work when I was exhausted could be difficult. However, I knew what I wanted to achieve and that I wanted to go to university to study Medicine, so the only way to get there was through hard work.

It has taught me a lot about discipline, managing my time and continuing to work even when things are difficult.

Looking back, what do you think helped you grow academically at Sedbergh?

A big influence was having teachers who had faith in me and supported my decision to continue with biathlon.

Both of my Psychology teachers were incredible in making sure I had all the work I needed to keep up while I was away. Having teachers who understood my situation and were willing to support me made a huge difference, and I’m very grateful to them.

Was there a moment when you began to think differently about what you might be capable of achieving?

I think a lot of that confidence came gradually from having people around me — friends, staff and family — who believed I could manage both academics and biathlon.

Being trusted to take on both commitments, even when it was difficult, made me realise that I was capable of more than I sometimes thought.

What has full boarding given you academically or personally that you think will stay with you after Sedbergh?

I think full boarding teaches you so many lessons. You learn how to live with people you may have never met before and how to grow together.

You experience the highs and lows with the same people, and it teaches you independence, patience and how to get along with a wide range of personalities. Those are lessons I think will stay with me long after leaving Sedbergh.

How did you arrive at Medicine as the next step after Sedbergh? Was it always your plan?

My plan for a long time has been to study Medicine. It’s something I’ve always been interested in, and throughout my time at Sedbergh that ambition became something I was increasingly determined to pursue.

I’m really excited that I’ll now have the opportunity to start that journey at Nottingham.

What advice would you give to a younger Sedbergh pupil who is ambitious academically but is also pursuing sport at a high level?

I would say that it is one hundred percent possible, and so worth it, although you may fall behind in some classes and it isn’t always easy.

As long as you’re willing to put in the hard work when it really counts, you can make it work. Sport can also open up so many opportunities academically. Many universities value the ability to balance academics and high-level sport, and in my case, my sporting achievements were taken into account when I was given a lower grade offer.

When you look back on Sedbergh in a few years’ time, what do you think you will remember most?

I think I’ll remember the friendships I made and, in particular, those in my Boarding House.

You live with people for five years and create bonds that are very different from those outside of boarding school. You’re very much stuck with each other through the highs and lows as you grow up together from teenagers into adults.

Hopefully, these friendships will last a lifetime.