Scoring success

VU's focus on sport science and connections with elite sporting teams was the biggest drawcard for me.

Amber Rowell
Sport scientist

Amber Rowell is going the distance, with her PhD taking her to the inner workings of elite sporting organisations.

"I was interested in sport from a young age so studying sport at uni was an easy decision.

VU's focus on sport science and connections with elite sporting teams was the biggest drawcard for me. The lecturers and curriculum are great, and having an appreciation and understanding of sport has helped with my studies.

In the third year of my bachelor degree, as part of my career and professional development hours I worked alongside the sports scientist at Melbourne Victory Football Club. My research looked at the impact of training and competition load on fatigue, performance and injury occurrence. It aimed to predict an athlete's ultimate range to achieve success.

I am passionate about soccer so it was a dream come true to continue working with Melbourne Victory as part of my PhD as a sport scientist – a role that lasted over eight years. From there I gained a role in the US as a performance data analyst for Seattle Sounders FC. Since my return to Australia, I have been working for another of VU's long-standing industry partners, the Western Bulldogs Football Club, in a sport scientist role."

Amber studied

Find out more about sport and exercise science courses at VU.