Student Amy makes international debut at the World Para Athletics Championships

Photography by Marcus Hartmann 

Amy Thompson, a 19-year-old first-year BSc Biomedical Science student and sports scholar, made a fantastic debut representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland at her first senior international para athletics event in India last month.

Amy, who is backed by LJMU’s high‑performance support programme alongside her academic studies, competed in the women’s F41 shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.

Amy came just short of a personal best to finish seventh in the event following a rapid rise to the world stage over the past 12 months. During the training season she made remarkable strides, improving her personal best by half a metre, a significant achievement that reflects her dedication and development over the past year

As a sports scholar, Amy benefits from enhanced support designed to nurture elite athletes balancing academic pursuits with sporting excellence. LJMU’s scholarship infrastructure aligns with long‑term athletic trajectories and harnesses potential around key national and world championships, alongside Olympic and Paralympic Games aspirations.

I really enjoyed competing in New Delhi and it was a fantastic experience for myself and the entire GB team. I’ve had a great season, and this has felt like a reward for how well I’ve performed recently, representing the country against the top talents within my category.

Conor and the scholarship team have really been integral to my performances this past season, without regular strength and conditioning training, nutritional and psychological support, I definitely wouldn’t be performing as well as I have been and probably wouldn’t have even been selected for the World Championships - that is why I’m so grateful to the staff and everyone involved in developing such a great scheme.

Amy Thompson, LJMU student and Sport Scholar 

Conor Heeney, Amy’s Strength & Conditioning Coach and Performance Sports Science Coordinator at LJMU said: “This incredible opportunity for Amy is all down to her hard work and consistency over the past year—her mentality and approach to training have been exemplary, and she is fully deserving of this achievement and will take forward important lessons from her international debut to prepare her for future championships.”

About LJMU Performance Sport

LJMU Performance Sport supports promising athletes like Amy with tailored coaching, sports science insight, performance psychology, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, and academic flexibility.

The scholarship scheme is structured to help athletes reach championship‑level goals, be it the recent championship in New Delhi or beyond, toward the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Find out more about LJMU Performance Sport and Sport Scholarship Scheme.