With her children growing up, Jo Wardle took a series of courses at St Mary’s, and her life changed rapidly…

Name: Jo Wardle
Institution: St Mary’s University College
Course: Anatomy and Physiology – Level 5

I first heard of the reputation of the courses on offer at St Mary’s University College about five years ago from a PGCE student at the college who was lodging with us. When, in 2008, my eldest daughter went to university and my youngest daughter started secondary school, all of a sudden nobody really needed me anymore! So, I phoned the Short Course Unit and they told me they had a course in Anatomy and Physiology and that sounded good. Some years before I had worked in a David Lloyd gym and so already had an interest.  

On the very first day of the anatomy course they told me that there was a space on the Holistic Massage course that afternoon. So I signed up for that too. Both ran on Wednesdays – Anatomy and Physiology in the morning and Holistic Massage in the afternoon. From day one I just loved it – the balance between academic and practical work was excellent. Those two courses lasted until Easter 2009 and then I started the Level 3 Sports Massage.  

That took me through to the summer, when I started part-time work with an osteopath as a sports masseuse. I have also set up a treatment room at home and that work is taking off really well. Then the college phoned me and said that the Level 5 course was due to start in December and I jumped at the opportunity – and that is the course I am currently doing.

The staff at the college have been fantastic – so helpful and accessible – and now I have the short courses bug there are several other opportunities which I may well follow – Aromatherapy, for instance, or Sports Injuries.