MEET THE ATHLETES OF MAS 2020
Almost a quarter of this year’s AISTS Master in Sports Administration and Technology class are international athletes, from sports as diverse as racewalking to wushu and SUP to figure skating.
As well as two Olympians – Olympic racewalker Marc Mundell who won this year’s athlete scholarship and Mikel Thomas, Olympic 100m sprinter and 110m hurdler, we welcome Jiwan Uhm, artistic swimmer, Eric Mackenzie, Australian Football player, Barbara El Rassi – Sanda Fighter/ Wushu, rhythmic gymnast Mélisande Beckmann, Stand Up Paddleboarder (SUP) Mark Hurst, figure skater Carolina Gillespie, and basketball player Alex Igual.
To have so many athletes who have represented their countries join the program is a true honour. The AISTS master program has long attracted athletes, enabling them to continue their passion for sports both on and off the field of play.
While many of the athletes who come to study with us are looking to retire from their sport, many others are active athletes who continue to compete.
Studying and competing
In the MAS 2020 class, Marc Mundell is currently balancing study with training for his third Olympic Games. He hopes to qualify for Tokyo 2020, to compete in the 50k racewalk. Mikel Thomas is also training to qualify for Tokyo 2020, in both the 100m sprint and the 110m hurdles. This would be his fourth games.
Meanwhile, Barbara El Rassi has just returned from the World Wushu Championships in Shanghai, China and Mark Hurst is heading to El Salvador later this month for the 2019 ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship.
Welcoming two Olympians during SEMOS
At this year’s SEMOS (Sports Event Management and Organisation Seminar) we welcomed even more athletes as we were joined for the 5-day open module by Olympic Volleyball champion Ivan Miljkovic and Olympic Alpine Skier Santi Lopez.
Keep an eye on our website and social media channels; we’ll be speaking to all our athletes over the coming few months as we follow their journeys.