Holly Gray
Performance and Technique Analyst, High Performance Sport New Zealand, Cambridge
Master of Sport, Exercise and Health
Bachelor of Sport and Recreation with a minor in Coaching
Being able to use her understanding of performance analysis to support the sport she loves is a highlight for Holly Gray who now works at High Performance Sport New Zealand.
“In this role, I’m providing data-driven insights to support athlete and crew development at Rowing New Zealand by using various tools and techniques to analyse the team’s performance and identify areas for improvement, and collaborating with coaches and other support staff to enhance the overall performance.
“It’s cool to observe what's happening in the training environment and picking up on what coaches are discussing, and then being able to support that with data-driven insights. It’s rewarding to connect those observations with information that can help inform decisions and improve the team’s performance. Having rowed competitively myself, I also enjoy that I can do this with a sport I have over 10 years of experience in.”
Choosing AUT
Deciding to come to AUT to study sport was easy, Holly says.
“I was interested in working in sport, helping support people’s performance. I chose to do this through AUT as it offered opportunities to learn on the job through their workplace experience as well as offering a variety of sporting subjects compared to some other universities in New Zealand.”
It's a decision she certainly hasn’t regretted and she thoroughly enjoyed her time at AUT.
“I really liked that in the first year of my Bachelor of Sport and Recreation we took a range of courses to help us fully understand what is out there in the sporting industry. We didn’t have to pick our major straight out of school. This enabled me to discover my passion for performance analysis, which wasn’t something I knew anything about. While I was at AUT I was also awarded an AUT Blue Award and a student scholarship with High Performance Sport New Zealand during my master’s degree.”
Supported to thrive
Holly says there was one staff member who had a particular impact on her throughout her studies.
“Professor Kirsten Spencer was one of the lecturers who played a significant role in my undergraduate degree, particularly in helping me understand performance analysis and coaching in sport. During my master's degree, Kirsten was my supervisor. She provided invaluable guidance and support, especially as I was balancing full-time training at the time. Having a supervisor who understands high performance sport from her own experiences was so nice. She supported me through the decision of whether to pursue my master's degree and helped facilitate the studentship with High Performance Sport New Zealand. This opportunity led to valuable industry experience with the team I now work with.”
She has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university experience.
“Make the most of opportunities that come your way – connecting with a wide range of people helps you build relationships, learn more and draw connections between different pieces of information within the industry.”
