Olympic bronze medallist and Kingston alumnus Asha Philip visited her old university to inspire the current crop of athletes.

She spoke to students taking part in the Kingston University Sports Performance Programme, and spoke of her fond memories of her time at the university, where she was also on the scheme while studying.

She said: “Before I enrolled at University, I already had an athletic career, but at Kingston I was able to further study drama – another one of my passions – while also making new friends along the way.

“To do both was a blessing. I couldn’t have done it without the support I received from the Sports Performance team; you form a special bond with them.”

The Sports Performance Programme was introduced in 1998 to support student athletes and help them balance their sporting and academic commitments.

Students on the scheme compete at regional level through to senior international level, and they can take advantage of benefits including free use of fitness centres and bursaries for competition expenses.

Currently those on the programme include a wide range of disciplines, including weightlifting, taekwondo, American football and ice hockey, as well as Paralympic sprinter Sophie Kamlish, who broke the T44 100m world record in Rio.