Fayokemi Abidekun
Sport: Judo
Academic course: Philosophy
Hometown: Dagenham
Best sporting achievement/personal best: Commonwealth Games
2021/22 goal in sport: Is to be selected for the games and start to build my athlete profile in order to get selected for the olympics in Paris
What did you miss the most regarding your Sport during the various Covid-19 Lockdowns and imposed restrictions? Having actual physical contact judo, shadow judo just isn’t the same
What attracted you to study at Kent and what are you most looking forward to at University? The area and the vibe is really good, and the sporting facilities. As it’s close to London I am also able to still train.
Vidhi Thakkar
Sport: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Academic Course: BSc Management
Hometown/Nationality: Indian
Best sporting achievement/personal best: Gold at Abu Dhabi Grand Salm in Jan 2019
2021/22 goal in sport: My goal this academic year is to get back into training as Covid restrictions have started to ease alongside competing a lot frequently
What did you miss the most regarding your Sport during the various Covid-19 Lockdowns and imposed restrictions? Alongside being a sport I love to train and actively compete in, it is very therapeutic for me. I missed that calming aspect of the sport the most due to the pandemic
What attracted you to study at Kent and what are you most looking forward to at University? I applied for Kent whilst I was still back home in Abu Dhabi. From what I had see online the campus looked amazing and my course was exactly what I wanted. The University was even better once I got to Canterbury
Luke Yates
Sport: Karate
Academic course: Sports and Exercise Science for Health
Hometown: Dartford
Best sporting achievement/personal best: UWK English Silver Medalist, English Clubs double Champion, English Karate Cup Champion, English United Karate Federation Champion and competing at World and European level.
2021/22 goal in sport: To compete in the World Championships this year and retain my national titles.
What did you miss the most regarding your Sport during the various Covid-19 Lockdowns and imposed restrictions? I missed competing the most during lockdown and training with my teammates.
What attracted you to study at Kent and what are you most looking forward to at University? I wanted to study at Kent as it offered a unique course that suited my interests. I am most looking forward to engaging in Uni life and training at the University.