Melissa Bird - Student Profile
Melissa studies the MChiro (Hons) course at AECC University College and is in her Fourth Year. She is also a successful powerlifting athlete who has won three Gold medals at the IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships. Melissa tells us more about what drew her to the course, how she became a competitive powerlifter, and her ambitions for the future:
Which course are you studying and what year are you in?
"I'm in Year 4 of the MChiro (Hons) course and working in the AECC University College Clinic."
What drew you to study this subject?
"I hurt my back when I was 15 while studying for my GCSEs and training for discus throwing. I went to see a Chiropractor in my home town and saw such a huge improvement that I was keen to learn more about how chiropractic worked. I've always been involved in sport and found anatomy interesting, so chiropractic was a great way to combine both of these areas and expand my knowledge."
Why did you choose AECC University College?
"I came to an open day at AECC University College, and loved the campus and the activities provided for prospective students. The staff and students were friendly and passionate, and I was excited to be apart of it."
What are your ambitions for the future?
"I'm looking forward to graduating, and continuing to work with patients and other practitioners out in practice. I'd also like to continue with powerlifting and building my weight total to as big as I can!"
How did you get into powerlifting and can you tell us a little more about your latest competition at the 2021 IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships?
"I started powerlifting as strength and conditioning training for my discus throwing. My coach realised that I had the potential to compete at a high level and supported me through the process of training, entering competitions and being selected for the IPF World Classic Championships both in 2019 and 2021.
"On 28/09/2021 I competed in Halmstad (Sweden) in the Junior 84+ category, achieving a squat of 170kg, bench press of 92.5kg and deadlift of 175kg, giving a total of 437.5kg. This gave me a gold medal in each lift as well as an overall gold. I really enjoyed the competition and it was great to get another opportunity to be part of the GB Team at a major championships."
Everyone at AECC University College is incredibly proud of Melissa's achievements, and we can't wait to see what the future brings in both her chiropractic career and powerlifting journey.
