By Rachel Bradshaw
After being accepted into a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of Andy Clark’s Business of International Sports 10-day Study Abroad Program in London, I knew that there would be a special journey ahead. There were so many great experiences, here are a few that stood out to me.
Following the arrival at Heathrow Airport, we had the weekend to explore the city of London before the packed week began. My small group consisted of Molly, Aleksa, Obaida and Chris in exploring some popular tourist spots. We stopped by Buckingham Palace to watch the iconic Changing of the Guards. As well as heading to St. John’s Wood where we had a chance to recreate the well-known Abbey Road album that The Beatles created. It was a lot of fun being able to create our own version of that picture.
(Left to Right) Aleksa, Chris, Molly, Rachel, Obaida at Abbey Road
On our first day of the speaker portion of the trip, we had the opportunity to hear from Neil Wood, MBE who was the CFO of the 2012 Olympic games. I was in awe being this close to someone who helped get the Olympics back to London. I started to get into the Olympics back in 2012, so being able to hear about the behind-the-scenes of how it was built and the challenges that Neil came across was intriguing.
The team with Neil Wood, MBE and the 2012 Olympic Torch
There were many things that stood out to me when it came to Neil’s presentation. But the one thing he said about starting the process of the Olympics was “to begin with the end in mind.” This is something that I think is important in any situation because you want to do something that will be beneficial in the end. Which is what the committee did because the buildings and stadiums are still being used today for different purposes throughout the city.
After he finished talking, Neil brought out the 2012 Olympic Torch. We were all able to take pictures with it and I couldn’t believe it. This was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. In my eyes, this was a great start to the program.
Another one of my favorite speakers was when we met Jimmy Worrall, who is the founder and former CEO of Leaders in Sports. Instead of focusing his presentation on what he accomplished at Leaders, he talked mainly on life advice. I appreciated that a lot and he gave so many great tips that I know I will keep with me throughout my career.
Jimmy Worrall presenting to the class
One of those that I have been thinking about since returning home from the trip is to “trial and error with your life career path, you never know what could happen.” I think this is so important because you never know what you will enjoy doing until you have tried it. There is a lot of time to get better at things you love to do, but trying something new and possibly getting good at it isn’t a bad way of going about things. Another quote that puts a good mindset on things was when Jimmy said, “your journey doesn’t start tomorrow, it starts today.”
To conclude our week, we got to hear from Lee Hoos, former CEO and now Chairman of Queens Park Rangers (QPR) FC. That morning, we heard from Lee as he talked about the ups and downs of being a CEO. One thing that stood out to me was when he was talking about how passionate football fans are in England. Especially going as far as saying that they don’t like to be told what to do. One that stood out to me the most was to “be careful with social media, don’t use it to vent and get personal.”
The team with Lee Hoos on the field at QPR
That afternoon we went to a QPR game wearing custom jerseys with our names on the back. This game turned into my favorite moment on the trip. The atmosphere was indescribable. I will never forget that feeling of being there, surrounded by all their passionate fans, plus it was a thrilling ending. Following the game, we were joined again by Lee, where he took us on the field. It was incredible, I was not expecting to get on the field as well as being able to sit on the QPR bench. I will never forget this moment.
(Left to Right) Rachel, Molly, Aleksa, and Nicole sitting on the QPR bench
I am so lucky to have been a part of the Business of International Sports in London Study Abroad Program. I have taken away a lot of advice, memories, and friendships that I will forever cherish.