I always wanted to be a vet. My parents were very supportive of this dream and helped me along the way. At 15 I got my first volunteer job in the kennels attached to a general practice veterinary clinic in America which led to a job there. I studied to become a veterinary assistant and came back to that same clinic during breaks when I was in college getting my bachelor’s degree.

After graduating, I took a ‘forced’ gap year between college and vet school as I didn’t get into vet school the first time around. I decided to work as a veterinary assistant in a 24-hour emergency hospital where I saw so much! I learned how to triage, take bloods, run samples, and monitor patients on a variety of different equipment, I started seeing new cases and being introduced to different diseases. I loved my time working in emergency medicine and how fast-paced it could be at times.

How did you feel about starting your career with the Berry House team right after graduation?

I was nervous to start work as a vet, but Berry House made the transition from vet student to vet easy. There are so many senior vets around who are lovely and happy for me to ask questions about cases.

The most rewarding experience has been gaining the trust of our clients and that feeling of pride I get when they ask to see me specifically again. It’s also always rewarding when I get to work through a complicated case and the patient comes out the other end happy and healthier.

How do you feel your skills have developed since graduating and joining the team?

My skills have come a long way and that’s thanks to the nurses and vets who have taken the time to help and support me. I love talking to them about the different cases I have seen and finding out if anyone has additional knowledge or ideas. Every member of the team has something different to offer and I love that. Outside of talking to everyone about cases I also just love having a chat with my team!

My skills have come a long way and of course, there are still areas I want to work on. Overall though I am really happy with how I’ve developed. I also love that I have opportunities to work on the areas I want to continue to improve in.

How has being part of the IVC Graduate Academy supported your transition as a new graduate vet?

The CPD provided through the Graduate Academy programme has been really helpful. It was also good to have time away from the practice to connect with other new grads, trade stories and learn about some of the diseases we see on a regular basis that vet school didn’t prepare us for.

How did you get into competitive powerlifting, and what motivates you to keep pushing yourself in the gym?

I was very sporty in school, and I had my first introduction to lifting weights in the gym before going out running. I remember the gym trainer put a lifting belt on me and teaching me how to squat. From there I used to do little ‘Pinterest’ workouts! It wasn’t until my first year of vet school I started going to the gym with a friend and began lifting heavier weights. I called myself a “wanna-be powerlifter” but I was too scared to compete. In the last few months of vet school, I decided to compete in my first novice powerlifting competition without a coach. I had the best time and won first place for my age/weight category. From there I found my coach Truelevelperformance who I’ve stayed with since. I love lifting heavy weights and I look up to a lot of the other women in my weight category and want to lift as heavy as they do!

I’m motivated every day to be better than I was yesterday, so that means I have to keep pushing in the gym, making sure my nutrition is good, and getting enough sleep.

Balancing your career with competitive powerlifting takes discipline - how do you manage your time between the gym and your work as a vet?

Both can be time-consuming and demanding! I wake up early so I can lift before I head to work, but I have a good balance. There are some days I don’t want to wake up when the alarm goes off – but I still do it anyway.

What do you love most about powerlifting, and how does it compare to the mental focus required in veterinary medicine?

I love how much progress you can make within the sport. I find that putting headphones on, listening to music and zoning out helps me mentally prepare for the workday. It wakes me up so by the time I get to work I feel alert and ready to go. As I powerlift competitively, it can affect me mentally when I’m not able to hit my goals or if I don’t achieve what I’d hoped in a competition. Sometimes you need to take a few days off and then go back to it.

In veterinary medicine, you have to be very switched on and thinking constantly which can be tiring. So, the two are very different - the powerlifting helps me switch off so I can be switched on mentally at work.

As a Commonwealth Bench Press Champion, what’s the most memorable accomplishment in your lifting career so far?

I think being picked for the English team to compete at the Commonwealth will probably be number one for a while! Other memorable accomplishments include pulling a 160kg deadlift at British Nationals this past November, I have been wanting to pull bigger numbers in deadlifts for a while now, and I’m getting there!

Tell us about your pets!

My hamsters are very spoiled – I sometimes overfeed them sunflower seeds. I love talking to clients about their husbandry for their hamsters. I find a lot of people don’t like handling hamsters or other small rodents because they bite which is a possibility, but if you rub the bedding in the carrier cage on your hands you smell a little like them which makes them less likely to bite you. So far, knock on wood, none of my client's hamsters have bitten me!

When you’re not at work or lifting weights, what are some of your other favourite ways to unwind and relax?

I love spending time with my husband, reading, going on walks, or playing video games.

Looking ahead, what are your career goals?

I am excited to keep learning and growing as a vet. I do have an interest in emergency medicine and exotics/wildlife so one day I would love to do further training in one of these areas.