Laura Hernandez turned her hobby into a successful pastime
Bioveterinary student Laura Hernandez is celebrating after winning a series of UK and European bodybuilding titles.
Laura, who is studying for her degree at Gloucestershire’s Hartpury University, scooped impressive victories at the PCA South West Championships, where she was crowned overall female champion, the National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association (NABBA) UK Championships, and the Physical Culture Association (PCA) European Championships.
Laura started exercising regularly as a way to keep fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle. But after attending a bodybuilding competition and watching videos online, she became impressed by the level of discipline and commitment it took to be successful.
She is a member of the Sports Academy at Hartpury, where she has access to physiotherapists, nutritionists and all the equipment she needs to reach her goals. Laura also has the support of the Athlete Performance Academy’s Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) - a Sport England-funded partnership between talented athletes, education institutions and national governing bodies of sport.
Commenting on her success, Laura said: “The past year, while I have been a member of the Sports Academy at Hartpury, has been my most successful so far, without a doubt. I really wouldn’t be able to study for a degree and prepare for contests if I didn’t have the support of my all academic tutors and my sports coaches at Hartpury.”
She continued: “I have got access to top sports physiotherapists and nutritionists and amazing equipment – everything I need, in fact – plus my own coaches outside Hartpury. While it’s just me on stage when I compete, in reality it has taken a huge team effort to get me to that point. I feel very proud when I’m introduced to the crowd as representing Hartpury University – it is a huge honour for me.”
Lee Douglas, head of strength and conditioning at Hartpury, added: “We are really pleased for Laura and all her success this year. She has shown fantastic determination and dedication to both her academic studies and training to balance this workload and compete at the highest level, which is a real testament to her character and she is a great role model for student athletes here at Hartpury.”
Image (C) Hartpury University.
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