Case studies

Liam Fussey

Putting his instructional skills to great use

Watersports instructor Graduate Liam Fussey completed a year-long course in Outdoor Leadership and Safety before joining UKSA.

In a couple of weeks he’s moving to Australia for a year. “That’s the beauty of watersports,” he said. “You can work anywhere you want.” We asked him about his UKSA journey, his future ambitions and what he would say to someone following in his footsteps.

Liam chose to train at UKSA because …

“… I wanted to take my outdoor experiences further and use them in a career. After some googling I found UKSA. I liked the sound of the Watersports Instructor course, so I came to an open day where I had a tour round the site and the course was explained to me. I was sold.”

“There are so many times when I’ve looked around and realised how lucky I am to do this for a living.”

Once I met my fellow Watersports instructor students …

“… we went to the bar to get to know each other. I met people that I’m still in contact with today. Oh, and the facilities are great. UKSA had a friendly atmosphere from the beginning and the staff were all really welcoming.”

One of the best moments for me …

“… was when a girl without the use of her legs or parts of her upper body arrived in a residential group. Luckily we had the access dinghy which enabled her to take part in the activities. I remember that this girl, who might never have been able to go sailing with her friends, had the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. The session instructors all had huge grins on their faces as well.”

Every day is different

“Dealing with a variety of kids and adults is what makes every day that little bit more interesting. You could run the same session with three different groups and you would get three very different sessions. Some could go well, some badly. It’s what makes life challenging and stimulating.”

Liam’s advice

“You’re being paid to have fun so come in with new energy every day. Take a moment, once a day, to realise the difference that you’ve made to someone’s life. Try to be the biggest child among a group of them! No matter what you want to do, UKSA has it all waiting for you.”

Would you like to follow in Liam’s footsteps?

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