Why is Bethan full of beans?

November 8th, 2012

If the saying “healthy body, healthy mind” is to be believed, the stereotypical student lifestyle is perhaps not the most conducive to maximising learning potential.

While rejected by some, drunken antics, a sleep pattern which can be described as inconsistent at best and a poor diet, mean that for others a bout of flu is never far away.

To help students adjust to the move away from home, the University has been running HealthyU for the last five years, dishing out advice, sexual health testing or cheap exercise classes to hundreds of students.

The first term saw roadshows at halls, and now HealthyU Week offers a timely reminder of the importance of looking after yourself as a month of revision looms on the horizon.

Ahead of this year’s HealthyU Week, Exchange caught up with Bethan Davies, a PhD student at the University’s Institute of Mental Health, to find out why it is so important for students to take advantage of the support offered by the University.

“I am a PhD student wherein my research is focusing on university students’ mental health and emotional well-being.,” said Bethan.

“As both a student and a researcher, I’m aware of how important it is for students to stay healthy while at university. Entering and being at university can be challenging; we often have to juggle academic, social, employment and leisurely demands.

“If our health and well-being is affected at all, such as falling ill or experiencing emotional distress, then it can also affect how we cope with our academic workload and our other demands. It’s important to consider our health and well-being while at university; we don’t have mum to nag us, so it’s our responsibility to look after ourselves! Being healthy — both in the body and mind — is important as our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and actions are often influenced by one another.

“Students face numerous challenges in keeping healthy. Many of us are on a budget and money is tight — we might not be able have a healthy diet or to go to the gym every day.

“With cheap fast-food joints and drinks offers, it can be difficult to avoid having frequent takeaways or to get carried away with alcohol. I’ve found joining the University swimming club helpful in providing me with frequent exercise. Having gym membership also means that some of the sport centre’s exercise classes are free, and the University’s Any Body Club also provides affordable exercise opportunities for students.

“HealthyU helps increase awareness of what opportunities are available to students and provides advice and information — both in person and online — about how to improve and maintain your health and well-being.

“The HealthyU roadshows and events are great in helping signpost students to relevant resources for their health and well-being, such as university counselling. It can help reduce barriers that might otherwise hinder students from taking care of their health — such as the C-Card scheme which provides free condoms to under-25s.

“Healthy U is a great initiative in promoting both physical and psychological well-being — and I hope it continues to help students!”

This year’s HealthyU Week takes place at University Park from 26 to 30 November and at Sutton Bonington from 3 to 7 December. To find out about the range of exercise classes, talks and information fairs taking place throughout the week, visit: www.nottingham.ac.uk/healthyu.

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Peak condition

November 8th, 2012

University of Nottingham Veterinary Medicine student Leanna Shuttleworth has climbed her way into the record books.

Earlier this year — aged just 19 — she became the youngest female Briton to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. And the foundation year student accomplished the feat with her dad Mark — becoming one of the few father-and-daughter teams to stand together at the top of the world.

Leanna’s love affair with mountaineering began aged 14 on a school trip to Everest base camp. Despite extreme altitude sickness, Leanna was hooked.

“We went to a little summit called Kala Patthar, which has a beautiful view over Everest and watched the sun set — it was incredible. I made the best friends I ever have. When you experience something like that you just want to do it again and again and again.”

Back home, Leanna read Together On Top of The World by Phil and Susan Ershler — the first married couple to conquer the Seven Summits. “I’d just turned 15 and thought the challenge sounded amazing. So I sat down at my computer to look up as much information as I could, which wasn’t very much in retrospect, took it downstairs to my parents and begged to get started.

“My dad said one mountain at a time and it went from there; we did a couple of courses, got slightly better — found out what crampons were, for example, and it kind of led on. Realistically I didn’t think it was going to happen, but did I think it was possible? At that age anything is possible.”

On a second school trip, Leanna climbed Kilimanjaro. This time Mark came along. Together the pair have since scaled Elbrus, Denali, Aconcagua, Vinson, Kosciuszko and Everest.

“It has been really lovely,” said Leanna. “Most fathers and daughters don’t get to experience what we have together, and we are a lot closer now. When we are climbing together we are very much team-mates, you have to all be equals, so it can be difficult to re-adjust to everyday life where he is the one with the power.”

The ascent of Everest had added incentive for both of them. “We decided to raise money for the Vitiligo Society, as my mum has the condition,” says Leanna. “It was important to her and so became very personal. Vitiligo affects one person in every hundred and causes the skin, and sometimes hair, to turn white in patches. Despite it being quite common some cultures still pair it with leprosy. By raising £57,000, we’ve helped the society to provide support to those affected and to conduct further research.”

What was it like to face extreme physical and mental challenges in some of the world’s harshest places — roped to her dad? Leanna says they loved the shared experience of overcoming the challenge, the beauty of the mountains and teamwork. But she said: “For me the summit probably isn’t the reason I do it, but for my dad I think it is. I just enjoy the climb in general; I love how it takes life right back down to the basics. You don’t have to worry about anything trivial; each day is very much about surviving and getting to where you want to go. You have to look after yourself, which is the only thing you have to worry about.”

Mark said: “We’ve accomplished such a lot together. Everest was a life-changing event for both Leanna and myself and one we are still coming to terms with in terms of a sense of achievement.”

Leanna has the Matterhorn and the Eiger pencilled in for next summer. But for now, there’s the small matter of a foundation year to be getting on with…

Images reproduced with the permission of Leanna Shuttleworth.

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