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Hannah Chadwick – ICMS

Hannah Chadwick – ICMS

From working at the Commonwealth Games and the Invictus Games last year to assisting in the run up to the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics, International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) alumna Hannah Chadwick is living her dream of working in the para-sports industry.

Chadwick, who graduated in 2018 with a joint ICMS Bachelor of Events Management and a Bachelor of Sports Management degree, is currently working fulltime for Paralympics Australia as a data coordinator.

“My main role is to build the Alumni database and get in contact with every single Australian Paralympian from the first games in 1960 to present,” Hannah said.

“I recently started working with the classifications team and get to meet upcoming athletes and assist them in their process to become an Australian Paralympian.”

The Paralympics is a major international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of physical, mental and sensorial disabilities. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Chadwick said she was inspired by her sister, Kate Chadwick, to take up a career path in assisting people with disability in their sport.

“I made the goal of working for Paralympics Australia (previously known as the Australian Paralympic Committee) because of Kate and I thought, ‘What is the process to get there? Study + experience = success!’,” she said.

“I chose to study at ICMS for the small classes as I could have a more personal experience whilst studying at a beautiful campus by the beach. Also, the industry training opportunities were the main reason I chose ICMS as I got lots of experience at many different events and could apply my theory to practical events.”

ICMS is located in Northern Beaches, NSW, Sydney. Chadwick completed her industry training with the Manly Life Saving Club, on the doorstep of ICMS’ main campus, and in the course of her degrees she assisted with many events, from local events such as the Cole Classic to bigger events on a global scale such as assisting athletes in the process prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympics.

“I am very proud to say I assisted with accreditation for the whole Australian team for the Commonwealth Games held in 2018. I have also built the Alumni database in which lots of missing information exists before the invention of technology. However, my proudest moment to date is having the opportunity to work on the Invictus Games held in Sydney in October 2018. I was lucky enough to be given a full time job in the lead up and duration of the games. I learnt so much and worked with over 1000 volunteers to ensure they had suitable rosters, fitted uniforms and food when on shift,” she said.

“Through the experience of gaining over 1200 hours of work experience while studying at ICMS, I confirmed that I would like to continue my career in the adaptive sports industry. I am so grateful for the opportunities that ICMS has provided me with and I can thankfully say I have got my dream job a lot earlier than I anticipated! The theory and practical I learnt at the college has been applied to my work every day and has benefited me in a way that exceeded my expectations,” Chadwick said.

“The highlights from my time at ICMS would have to be the network you build not only with the friends you meet in class but also with the staff and faculty that you get to know over the course of your studies. I could happily say that when I was studying I knew the majority of the people on campus and, more importantly, I felt I could approach the CEO or founder and have a personal conversation and they actually knew me as a person and not just as a student number.”

Chadwick is relishing the opportunity to carve a career in the para-sports industry and said she finds the work incredibly rewarding.

“You can do one small task, like create a key event, and an athlete can come away with a qualifying time that can take them to the world stage in their particular sport. When you know what you do could lead to someone’s sporting dreams and goals being met then it’s all worth it! I have met some amazing athletes in my job like Dylan Alcott, Kurt Fearnley and Madison De Rozario and to know I played a little part in their career is what motivates me,” she said.

“Hearing the background stories of each Australian Paralympian is an amazing thing in itself and when there are over 1000 stories to hear, you realise there is a lot of hardship and camaraderie in the industry. It is nice to know that I am assisting the children of today to become Paralympians in the future.”

To find out more about ICMS, click here: https://www.icms.edu.au

Sources: https://www.paralympic.org.au/, https://www.disabled-world.com/sports/paralympics/

Category

Our Stories, Bachelor of Business (Sports Management), Bachelor of Event Management