From Behind Every Kick programme attendee to charity trustee, Amira's journey
Full disclosure, when we first brought Behind Every Kick into School 21 in Stratford during the 2018/19 academic year, it seemed a bit of a pipe dream that one of the year 10 netball players participating in the programme might one day feel passionate enough about what we do to join our board of trustees. But that's the journey Amira Mohamed has been on with Behind Every Kick.
When we recently sat down with Amira, she'd just completed a six-week internship at Isokinetic - an international medical group specialising in treating and rehabilitating sports injuries. She wanted to explain how she's benefited by staying connected with Behind Every Kick during her studies at UCL for a Sports and Exercise Medical Science degree and how she hopes to help other young people realise their potential through our work.
Behind Every Kick (BEK): So it's fair to say it's been a busy time for you?
Amira: Yeah, you could say that. With university, my internship and working part-time, I've felt really exhausted. This last week of the internship, I just had to see it through. But it's been such a valuable experience.
BEK: Can you tell us why you wanted to do an internship?
Amira: At university, my course is really theoretical. We don't have injured patients to work on, so I wanted to apply what I'm learning to real people with real injuries who need help. I saw it as an opportunity to discover what specific job roles exist in the sector and to start ruling some of them in or out for my career. It's confirmed that it's a super cool field to work in and that I want to work with patients committed to their recovery. Rehab only works if you put the effort in as a patient!
BEK: How did it come about?
Amira: I briefly met Mike Davison, the former managing director at Isokinetic London, at a Behind Every Kick event last year. Behind Every Kick helped me follow up on that introduction by reviewing my CV, which I emailed him. He agreed to have a coffee with me. We were supposed to meet at Hampstead Heath station, but I'd gone to the overground while he was waiting at the underground. We were both wondering where each other had gotten to! But then we had a great conversation where he asked me all sorts of questions about what I want to do. He was such a nice guy - and totally honest - which I definitely appreciated. It's a male-dominated industry, and there aren't many people from my background working in it, so Mike told me I've got to keep pushing to get where I want to go and to put myself in the rooms where people will see me because I belong in those rooms too. Mike then put me in touch with Andrea, the current director, and he took me to the clinic. After showing me around, he said they'd be happy to have me as an intern, which was brilliant.
.jpeg)
BEK: What have you learned about creating opportunities for yourself?
Amira: It's really shown me the importance of being authentic. It sounds silly now I'm saying it, but I was worrying about how they'd see me, even when I started the internship and what image of me I wanted them to see. But I realise you can't put on an act. You have to be yourself. It was only by asking for help and talking to people that I got the internship, so I took that attitude into the internship. You'll find there are people who want to help you. I started speaking to one of the patients there, and he was so interested in the steps I've taken to pursue my career that he asked me to connect with him on LinkedIn. I had to take a minute to say, 'Wait, you're asking me to connect with you?!' He then said he'd put me in touch with someone he knew who'd been at Arsenal. You just never know where a conversation might lead.
BEK: Was there anything from the Behind Every Kick programme that helped during your internship?
Amira: It's a long time since I did the programme, but let me think! Being able to communicate with all the different patients who walk through the door was a big one. Making a good impression, setting them up for their rehab journey and then building a relationship. That ability to tailor what I'm saying to different people isn't just beneficial at the clinic - it's something I use all the time at university with lecturers, at my part-time job with customers and colleagues and even with my friends. Being able to express yourself while getting the right tone is so important.
.jpeg)
BEK: And what was your biggest takeaway from the internship?
Amira: That's easy. I was worried about how I'd cope with still doing my part-time job, which I dread, keeping up with my uni work and doing the internship on top with a 45-minute commute there and back each day. I just thought, "I'm going to be knackered". But within the first week at Isokinetic, I absolutely loved it. Even though I wasn't getting paid, I arrived each morning with a big smile. That confirmed to me that it's really, really important for me in the future to have a job I enjoy because it will impact so much on my happiness. And thanks to the internship, I've seen these jobs do exist!
BEK: (Last question) Earlier this year, you became a trustee of Behind Every Kick, where you help set the charity's direction and oversee its work. What motivated you to take on the role?
Amira: I've been through the programme myself and gained a lot of opportunities by staying connected to Behind Every Kick. But when I think back to my programme cohort, a lot of the group didn't stay involved. That's a key factor in why I wanted to become a trustee: How can I help more young people to stay connected? It's such a great charity, and what's available to the young people - which I don't think they always realise (I know because I was the same at the time) - is so valuable and impactful. I want to show as many young people as possible that the world out there is so big, and that it's possible for them to get to where they want to go within it.