DEVIZES volleyball ace Jodie Amor hopes fellow Wiltshire athletes will follow her lead to realise their sporting dreams after claiming a third national title on the bounce.

During her three years at Northumbria University in Newcastle, Amor has represented Team Northumbria volleyball at the highest level as a Talented Athlete Sponsorship Scheme (TASS) athlete.

Now, as she nears graduation at the end of another Championship-winning season, the 20-year-old is encouraging Wiltshire’s emerging talent to follow suit and spread its wings.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” said the former Lavington School pupil.

“I’ve had the opportunity to play in so many finals and make the most of great facilities, at a world class venue.

“The support I’ve received from Northumbria University and TASS has been incredible but first and foremost, it’s been brilliant to have success on the court – that’s always a bonus.

“Experiencing BUCS Big Wednesdays and Super 8s finals is something else. You go up against the best in the country every week.”

Being a TASS athlete means that Amor receives support to balance her academic life with training and competitions, without having to choose between the two.

The Sport England-supported scheme provides athletes with core skills to succeed both academically and in their sport, a service Amor is grateful for.

“As a TASS athlete, we get loads of extra support, whether that’s with physio and strength and conditioning, nutrition advice, or just general lifestyle hints,” she added.

“The main thing for me is that it has taught me how to get the right balance between everything I do, between studying and still competing at a high level.

“If I was ever stressed or struggling, I could just go and speak to one of the advisors and they gave me advice and really helped me to deal with everything. It’s been so beneficial for me.”

Amor has represented Team Northumbria volleyball during their most successful years, seeing her side win BUCS Championships, Super 8s league titles and National Cups whilst going toe-to-toe with closest rivals Polonia SideOut London.

Team Northumbria’s squad includes players from across the globe and Amor revealed how she used the experiences of her team-mates to help her develop her own game.

“My volleyball has definitely improved whilst I’ve been at Northumbria,” she added. “My skills and all-round game have developed.

“If I was back at my old team, I would only really play with English players whereas Northumbria have players who have competed professionally in different countries.

“The team have had lots of different experiences, whereas I just came from college, playing with people my own age.

“By taking on my team’s experiences it’s really helped me grow as a player and as a person.

“To finish it off with another Super 8s win has been great. It was hard work and especially hard to come back after losing out in the Cup.

“Polonia gave us a great fight throughout the whole season and really challenged us again in the final but we’re so happy we managed to hold on.

“I’m just so proud that all our hard work paid off and we managed to get our revenge for the cup to finish the season on a high.”

Although her season and her degree may have come to an end, Amor is confident she won’t be saying goodbye to Newcastle just yet.

“I’m not sure if this really will be a proper goodbye,” she added. “I’m thinking of doing a part-time Masters after graduating but volleyball will still be a big part of my life.”