Student Spotlight 28 April 2026 - Ellie Harrison

Creating community through sport

My name is Ellie Harrison, and I am a final year MSc (pre-registration) Physiotherapy student in Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Science. Over the past year and a half, my interest in paediatric physiotherapy has grown significantly, through an extremely rewarding clinical placement where I had first-hand experience of how much physiotherapy can influence a child’s confidence, independence, and wellbeing.

As someone with a background in Sport and Exercise Science and history as a sprinter, I have always understood the power of being able to move your body through sport. We talk a lot about the importance of physical activity in rehabilitation, yet there are still clear barriers in accessing community sport for young children with disabilities.

Last year, my very first athletics coach, Rachel Berney, hosted a ‘try athletics day’ for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) at her club, Leamington Athletics Academy – a club I have been part of as both an athlete and a coach. This initiative immediately caught my attention and when I bumped into Rachel a few months later, I told her how brilliant it looked and how I’d love to help provide a more long-term opportunity for young children with CP. As a result, we are now hosting a second CP ‘try athletics day’ on Sunday 17 May 2026, ahead of the launch of our new weekly CP athletics club, starting in June for children aged 7-14.

Developing this alongside my studies and clinical placements has been a steep but rewarding learning curve. I’ve collaborated with local specialist paediatric physiotherapists, England Athletics disability coaches, Cerebral Palsy Sport, Activity Alliance, and Think Active welfare team (to name a few!), to ensure the sessions we provide are safe, inclusive, and most importantly fun!

We are starting small, but have a clear aim to create a welcoming, empowering space, where children with CP can enjoy being active, develop skills, and work on their goals. I am excited about the potential of what this club has to offer and where it could go in the future. Rachel and I have already had conversations about how we can expand and support a range of disabled young people to be physically active through sport.

If you would like more information on our CP ‘try athletics day’ 2026, or our CP athletics club, get in touch via email cp@leamingtonathletics.co.uk or visit our website.