Rosiemae Langham - Sport Therapy graduate
From helping footballers recover from injury through to supporting people with neurological conditions, Rosiemae Langham gained lots of real-world experience on her degree.
She said: “Many of my most valuable lessons came from practical sessions and placements.”
Since graduating from University of Staffordshire with a BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy, she has drawn on this knowledge to inform her work. Rosiemae is now Head of the Sporting Department at Cheshire College-South & West, where she teaches the next generation of sport and exercise professionals.
“I aim to create opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts, develop confidence and recognise that mistakes are often where the greatest learning occurs,” she added. “I also emphasise the importance of building relationships and seeing the person behind the condition or injury.”
That human connection sparked her own interest in neurological conditions and rehabilitation at university.
“My dad was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Seeing firsthand how the condition affected his daily life, mobility and confidence made me want to better understand the role that exercise and rehabilitation could play in managing symptoms and improving quality of life.”
For her dissertation, Rosiemae explored the effectiveness of an exercise programme for an RRMS patient, with her dad agreeing to be a case study for it.
Another initiative involved helping to deliver specialist exercise sessions to people living with Parkinson’s. The team – including other students, graduates and staff from sport and rehabilitation courses – offered tailored physical activity to improve their strength, balance, confidence and overall wellbeing.
Rosiemae recalled: “One participant later joined a gym and told me that, whenever she lacked motivation, she could hear my voice encouraging her to keep going. Knowing that I had positively influenced someone’s confidence and long-term exercise behaviour was incredibly rewarding and remains one of the most memorable moments of my career.”
Through university, she also got professional sports therapy experience at Port Vale FC, supporting with both injury prevention and rehabilitation.
“Matchday responsibilities included sports massage, taping and strapping joints to optimise performance and reduce injury risk,” she said.
Working within a multidisciplinary team, she helped design and implement rehabilitation programmes using techniques such as cryotherapy, joint mobilisation and strength and conditioning. Rosiemae played an important role in helping Port Vale players return to training and matches.
She describes these kind of professional opportunities as “invaluable” for students.
She added: “These experiences helped bridge the gap between theory and practice and prepared me for employment after graduation.”