Couple Lois Turner and Mo Ahmed are both in their first year at Staffordshire University and compete in Goalball alongside their studies.
The Paralympic sport, designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment, involves a team of three competing blindfolded. Points are scored by throwing a ball with bells inside into the opponents' goal.
Lois, studying BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy, explained: “You are using your senses and using your communication skills to shoot and stop the ball from coming at you. It’s reasonably scary at first but then the rest of the time you want more - you thrive off it and enjoy it more than anything!”
The pair, who live in Meir Park, met at the Royal National College of the Blind in Hereford where playing sports was encouraged. Lois is also captain of the England women’s blind cricket team and Mo used to play blind football for England.
They recently travelled to the International Trikai Goalball Tournament in Lithuania where Lois won gold with the women’s team and Mo won bronze with the men’s youth team.
Mo, studying BSc (Hons) Psychology, said: “I’ve never been away with the GB youth so it was all a new experience. We came third and got bronze – so for my first international tournament I think it went quite well!”
Both Mo and Lois also play for the Birmingham Babarians goalball team and have received support from lecturers to manage their studies alongside their sporting activities. Lois is also the first blind person to be on the Team Staffs Sport Elite Scholarship programme which supports students at Staffordshire University competing at elite level.
Through this, the university offers a range of support including access to training facilities and personalised sports coaching.
She said: “It’s definitely been a new experience having to manage my studies with training and attending competitions. There’s been lots of support from the Staffs Elite Team and my lecturers in regards to managing my workload. It’s worked out so far and we’ve just got to keep fighting!”
“For both me and Mo, our aim is to represent individuals with a disability at uni in general but to play sport and manage our studies as well.”
Lois and the GB women’s team now hope to qualify for the 2020 Paralympics in Japan. Lois recently won Scholar of the Year at the Staffordshire University's Sports Awards and she and Mo want to continue raising the profile of sports for the visually impaired.
Mo added: “I always loved football and to play for England shows that anyone can do it - you don’t have to be fully sited or fully able to do that. It’s nice to educate people in a way that we’re all the same and we’re easily approached like anyone else. It’s nice to prove that everyone is just equal.”
Sam Stevenson, Sports Development Coordinator, helps to run the Teams Staffs Sports Elite Scholarship programme.
He said: “We support all sports including disabled sports as well as competition sports such as basketball and volleyball. Anyone can apply at any level of sport - they could be GB athletes, recreational students or regional competition students from a variety of sports.
“Mo and Lois are both fantastic athletes and students for the University. Lois is on the programme at the moment and she is the most active and engaged student. They’ve been joy to work with.”
For more information about the Teams Staffs Sports Elite Scholarship programme visit - https://www.staffs.ac.uk/teamstaffs/scholarship/