Tag Archives: alumni

BU graduate is World Champion Duathlete

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A former BU student has raced to victory with a gold medal display at the Duathlon World Championships.

James Coleman, 28, landed the gold medal for Team GB’s 25-29 year-old category in Ottawa, Canada having only taken up running in 2007 when his internship required him to sprint to the post box to deliver mail.

James studied BA Public Relations at Bournemouth University, graduating in 2007, and partly credits the success to finding his running legs at University through ‘daily runs on the beach’.

His degree has also been well used; when James is not competing or practicing he heads up the sales team at National News PR Specialists 72 Point.

On winning his gold medal, James said, “To win a medal is amazing. I was thinking if I made the top ten I would have been happy.  I am over the moon. Everything came together at the right time.”

A duathlon is a race that includes two disciplines, typically running and cycling, and James explained how he was keen to take his competing one step further, “Now I may take up swimming and see what I can do in the triathlon event.”

The former BU student was also on hand to offer advice to budding BU students who may be want to consider following in his (running) shoes, “It’s amazing what you can do if you find something you’re good at and fine tune it to then become the best in the world. With a support team, encouragement, training, dedication and sheer determination and belief, then most goals are achievable!”

The Bourne Legacy

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Alumni who have done well in the creative industries come back to BU to give advice to Media School students.

Successful Media School alumni were back at Bournemouth University to share their stories and advice with final year students.

Among those speaking at The Bourne Legacy event were BU graduates who have gone on to edit The X-Factor, work on Tim Burton animated film Frankenweenie, and have gained positions at BBC Radio 1Xtra.

The event is now in its second year, and has been organised to inspire current final year students from across the Digital Media Design, TV and Radio Production courses, Scriptwriting and Global Media Practice degrees.

Mark Shufflebottom, Programme Co-ordinator BA (Hons) Digital Media Design, helped to organise the event.

He said: “It is a chance for [the students] to meet people from BU who have gone out into industry and are doing great things.

“It is about meeting these guys and them giving some really good idea of how to get into the industry.”

The first speaker of the day was Dan Mellow, an editor who has worked on TV shows including the X-Factor and Comic Relief, and is now editing comedy programmes.

Dan, who completed a Media Production degree at BU in 1995, said: “There were so many skills that I learnt at Bournemouth University that I have taken into the industry and that continue to be useful today.

He added: “I’ve hugely enjoyed the event. I hope it’s very useful for the current batch of students for alumni to come back and share their experiences and stories of how they got into the industry.”

Also speaking at the event was producer and director Céin McGillicuddy, who has worked on programmes like Made in Chelsea and MTV’s My Super Sweet World Class since completing a BA (Hons) in Scriptwriting for Film and TV then an MA (Hons) in TVProduction at BU, and fellow Scriptwriting for Film and TV graduate Danna Wills, who worked at Aardman Animations and Disney before moving into children’s magazines.

Following the talks, there was a Q&A panel session with the alumni and the opportunity for networking.

Anna Goodridge, who studied TV Production at BU from 2005 to 2008 was another of the speakers.

She is currently working as a Production Coordinator on BBC drama Holby City.

Anna said: “I started off as a runner and worked my way up the old-fashioned way, which is how you’re always going to have to do it.

“I want to let students know that your mum or dad doesn’t have to work in television – with hard work and a bit of research you can get in quite easily but you’ve got to be patient and one day, eventually, you’ll get to where you want to be.”