Supporting Elite Performance with Squash Player Oliver Pett
- Friday, March 13, 2020
In recent years, the University of Roehampton has been able to support a number of student athletes combining higher education and elite sports performance, including current student, Oliver Pett.
From left to right, Oliver Pett, Tiago Goriely, Reece Allen and Aaron Allpress, from the University of Roehampton Squash Club.
Oli enrolled at Roehampton after retiring from international professional squash, having reached a career high ranking of 56 in the world. A highly talented and skilful player, Oli’s career was marred by a number of serious injuries and the tragic loss of both his parents.
Oli joined the world tour in 2008 and competed in 56 Professional Squash Association World Tour events, winning 105 out of 158 matches and reaching five finals. When retiring in April 2016 he was unsure of his next steps and career pathway.
He was particularly interested in studying Psychology and Counselling, wanting to learn how he can create networks of support for athletes and aid their mental health. He was drawn to Roehampton because of the university’s connections with Wimbledon Squash Club and Roehampton Club, as well as the university team. With guidance from the university on the support and scholarships available for student athletes he was able to enrol at Roehampton in September 2018.
Since beginning his academic journey, Oli has been able to achieve a high level of academic performance whilst continuing to play squash, returning to play at a level reached during his professional career. He recently competed in the British University Colleges & Sport Squash Championships, playing in the A grade category against a number of other international calibre players, coming in 3rd place. Other performances in National and European tournaments have seen Oli beat top 20 international players and give a tough match against top 10 players.
Oli has been a great ambassador for the university and mentor for other players, supporting with coaching, guidance and advice. You can hear an interview with Oli here, where he discusses his time at Roehampton.