My name is Mariah Banton, I am 23 years old and from Letchworth, Hertfordshire. I am a first year BSc Physiotherapy student.

I applied through Clearing because going to university was a last minute decision and I thought to myself, “If I don't get in it's obviously not supposed to be.” I was working at Nuffield Health as a personal trainer but due to furlough and gym closures, I was rather enjoying the time off during the first lockdown. However, the thought of going back to work and having to build up my client base from scratch was filling me with dread; I was also questioning if personal training would even pick up because of the pandemic, due to personal training being seen as a luxury. I decided I wanted a more stable career that would even carry on during a pandemic.

I saw that the NHS was giving out NHS bursary funds for certain courses and physiotherapy was one of them. This also influenced my decision. The Clearing process was very similar to the normal process of applying for courses. I think if anything, it was faster because the course was starting so soon. I decided to contact the universities first before I applied just to be sure. I didn't want to pay the UCAS fee and have no chance of getting in. I also only wanted to go to a university close to home; there was no way I was living far from home in a pandemic.

I was inspired to be a physiotherapist from the age of 15, as I used one myself when I competed in athletics. However, I was told by my physiotherapist that people needed to be really clever and be good at science to study Physiotherapy – and as I struggled with science at school, I gave up the dream of being a physiotherapist. After years of being a personal trainer and working with many different kinds of medical conditions, I came to a place where I had the confidence to believe that I could pass a university degree. My time off work during the pandemic definitely gave me plenty of time to think about my future and what I wanted.

After I graduate I hope to set up my own practice incorporating physiotherapy and personal training. I hope to travel with my degree and help people in countries that don't have the luxury of the NHS. I just want to help people live a life that is free of limitation. I want to educate people on the importance of exercise and movement. Physiotherapy will give me all the knowledge I need to convey this message.