About me
My name is Lexy Gillies and I am a netball scholar going into my second year of Sport and Physical Activity at Strathclyde. I have five senior caps with the Scottish Thistles and have represented Scotland in U17, U19 and U21 age groups. To date, some of my highlights include the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, World Youth Cup Qualifiers in 2024, and the PacificAus Netball Series in 2025.
Choosing Strathclyde
After meeting some of the players and staff involved with the netball programme and my course, including Rachel Cremin (director of netball), Janice Buchanan (performance sport manager) and Lauren McMichan (sport and physical activity course leader), my decision to enroll at Strathclyde was a no-brainer. The culture, training and support offered through the netball programme is second to none.
Academically, my course covers a wide range of sport-related topics whilst also providing me the flexibility to balance and pursue elite sport outside of university.
Support from the Performance Sport Scholarship Programme
The Performance Sport Scholarship Programme has supported both my athletic and academic career. Access to physio and strength and conditioning have been invaluable to my physical performance while specialist performance coaching has enhanced my technical and tactical abilities. Support from the Performance Lifestyle Advisor has allowed me to balance the demands of my competition and training schedule with my studies, ensuring I can achieve in both without compromise.
Through the help of all the staff involved in the Sport and Physical Activity course, I was able to continue my studies online whilst I was away on my first tour with the Scottish Thistles in Australia. By arranging extensions for assessments, I managed to stay on top of coursework over the two weeks I was away and was able to complete missed assessments upon my return.
Balancing Studies and Sport
Balancing training, competitions and academics has strengthened my time management in order to meet all of my deadlines. The high performance environment has also taught me resilience when dealing with setbacks and balancing high pressure situations. Opportunities within the programme such as the Q&A for Strathclyde’s Wall of Fame unveiling have allowed me to practice my public speaking skills and develop my confidence. Combined with working within a team, these have enhanced my leadership and communication skills, which translate to greater confidence off the court in everyday life.
Developing Skills and Resilience
My experience at Strathclyde has taught me how to manage performance, pressure and recovery when pursuing opportunities in elite level sport. Career events within my course have broadened my awareness of professional opportunities beyond university and have demonstrated the importance of the transferable skills I have gained through the performance programme, such as discipline, resilience and time-management.
Future Goals
Ultimately, the skills and experience I have gained through the performance programme will help me achieve my goals of securing a professional contract, pursuing overseas opportunities and continuing to play for the Scottish Thistles. Professionally, my course will enable me to gain experience and seek opportunities working with teams in high performance environments.