Anne-Marie Hughes started her new job as teaching assistant in the Centre for Sport and Recreation on 1 December 1990. Little did she know that when it would come to her retiring, over 32 years later, her name would not only be synonymous with sport at the University, but across the entire student sporting sector.
Hired to teach fitness classes and coach students in a variety of sports, Anne-Marie quickly evolved her remit and began contributing to academic teaching modules. In 1995 she was given the Sport Bursars programme to oversee, which at the time supported 10 students by affording them academic flexibility where possible and free access to the gym.
Fast forward 30 years and the now Performance Sport Scholarship Programme supports 60+ students year in year out. Under her guidance Anne-Marie has implemented policy that guarantees flexibility for scholars who now also receive financial, S&C, physiotherapy, and psychology sport.
Since 1995 over 300 students have passed through the University’s Performance Sport Scholarship programme including several Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallists, and Anne-Marie has acted as a mentor to every single one of them. To this day, many of these athletes have Anne-Marie as one of their first ports of call after success on the world stage, a testament to the value students place on her impact on their sporting and academic careers.
For 18 years she served as the Assistant Head of Department and in 2014, the Strathclyde University community named her Strathclyder of the year and nominated her to carry the Commonwealth Games baton as it arrived in Glasgow.
Away from her day job Anne-Marie was an excellent athlete herself, competing for her country at road- running, cross country and fell running competitions, including the World Mountain Trophy Championships. Her expertise has often been utilised by Scottish Athletics where she has acted as a selector for the national programme.
For over 30 years now she has also coached her beloved student club, Strathclyde Harriers, and has taken the University’s running club to, and volunteered at, every single BUCS cross country and track championships since 1991, only missing the ones she was unable to attend due to COVID.
The Strathclyde Sports Union recognised her with their Drew Manzie award for Outstanding Contribution to Coaching in 2018 which also acknowledged her commitment to be the GB students cross country coach 2006 – 2012.
Be it as a running coach, a mentor, a class teacher, a programme leader or even just a friendly face in the facility, Anne-Marie has had a positive effect on thousands of lives during her tenure and Strathclyde Sport and student sport across Scotland is not going to be the same without her.
Neil Brown, Director of Sport and Active Health said: “In 19 years working in student sport, I have never seen someone so passionate about helping students realise their dreams. No stone was left unturned to ensure they could succeed and leave with countless memories of what they have achieved with Anne-Marie’s help.
As a colleague Anne-Marie was fantastic to work with and gave me and colleagues no end of support, particularly in the transition from the CSR to Strathclyde Sport. As part of the senior leadership team that lead the department to winning 3 awards since 2018, her strategic contribution was pivotal to the development of bold and ambitious facilities providing opportunities for all to be active. The outpouring of gratitude and well wishes we have seen from across the university shows the admiration for Anne-Marie was deep routed in Strathclyde.
It is difficult to express fully our gratitude for what she has done for the department and the wider student sport scene, but she goes in to well-earned retirement leaving a monumental legacy behind that she should be proud of. Anne-Marie, you epitomise what it means to be a Strathclyder and from all at Strathclyde Sport – thank you!”
University of Strathclyde Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sir Jim McDonald said: “I first came across Anne-Marie Hughes when I took part in her Step classes at what was then the University’s Department of Physical Education in the early 1990s.
“She certainly used to put us through our paces, and it is no surprise to me whatsoever that 30 years later she is still keeping staff and students across campus active with her incomparable levels of enthusiasm.
“Ask anyone about sport at Strathclyde over the past 3 decades and they’ll have a story to tell you about Anne-Marie. Be it through her teaching, coaching, mentoring or simply being a friendly face around the facility, the number of students and University staff whose lives she has had a positive impact on is immeasurable.
“She was instrumental in her department’s evolution from the Step class sport halls to the state-of-the-art Strathclyde Sport facility and has grown the Performance Sport programme into a fantastic provision.
“From students stepping into a gym for the first time to Olympic medallists, Anne-Marie has been a pillar of support for Strathclyders and others across the sector for over 30 years and will be greatly missed by all.”