Casually mention Emma Raducanu’s name on the streets of London, and you’ll instantly bring a smile to anyone’s face. There’s no doubt that Emma is known as the pride of England. Within a matter of months, the young tennis star won everyone’s hearts with her power shots, on-court resilience, and demeanour.
As we continue to celebrate Emma, it’s important to understand why she’s an example for students across the UK. Sure, she’s a great tennis player. But what makes her a role model for young students coming into their own, shaping their goals, and embarking on the journey to success? In this blog, we’ll dig deeper. Let’s get to know Emma better and see why she’s an inspiration for the British youth.
1. Complete Focus
Success of any kind (sporting, academic, etc.) rests on the foundation of complete, unrelenting focus. Emma is the embodiment of unadulterated dedication. The young athlete’s teachers have frequently remarked that Emma doesn’t partake in any drama, nor does she have an ego. She’s purely hard-working and dedicated. Her sheer focus helps her perform as immaculately as she does on the court.
This is an important lesson for students. It’s easy to get carried away and let one great exam grade or excellent presentation get to your head. As students perform well, they can easily become complacent and begin to think that success comes easy.
This is never the case. No matter how many pinnacles of success you reach, future excellence is never a given. If you stop working hard, you’ll confront the bitter reality that you cannot achieve your goals without focus, determination, and hard work. Emma stands out for giving every practice and game her 100%. When students develop similar focus, they can consistently excel in their examinations, not just temporarily.
2. Prioritising Education
Emma’s a tennis whiz, no qualms about it. One may assume that her academic track record isn’t as illustrious as her tennis trail. She probably stopped studying to focus on her tennis career, right? Or perhaps she haphazardly completed her IGCSEs and A Levels so she could train rigorously and achieve her tennis dreams.
It may surprise you, but Emma dexterously aced both her academic life and sporting career. She secured an A* in mathematics and an A in economics (A Levels). If you play competitive sports and wish to go pro in the future, follow Emma’s lead. Your education is just as important as sports. Maintain discipline across every facet of your life—academic and athletic.
Emma has also revealed that she plans to go to university in the near future. In fact, her academic dreams are just as lofty as her sporting dreams. Emma is chasing a spot at the prestigious Cambridge University. With grades that good, we have no doubt that she’ll secure admission. Aim as high as Emma, and bring your goals to fruition by working hard.
3. Refusal to Back Down
After winning the 2021 US Open, Emma had a few slip-ups, and understandably so. She’s young and being pushed to do her best. Of course, winning every grand slam simply isn’t realistic. When Emma dropped the Wimbledon title during the second round, she received a lot of criticism. Instead of letting the vitriol get to her, she kept her head up and continued to train hard.
This is a powerful lesson for students. Feeling defeated after a bad grade or a poor test score is easy. If you let the defeat get to you, you’ll get stuck in a loop of multiple defeats, one after the other. Brush the criticism off, get up, do your best, and prove everyone wrong.
At CHS Online, we help our students develop this invaluable skill and utilise it in their everyday life. You’ll make a lot of mistakes over the course of your life. Learn something from them every time you fall down. Instead of remembering the fall, remember the lesson you took away from it. As you navigate life, this practice will help you develop resilience.
We also recommend prioritising your mental health at every stage of your academic journey. Emma Raducanu has talked about the importance of mental health many times. Instead of pushing herself to unrealistic limits, she often takes breaks when she knows she’s struggling.
Before she won the US Open final in 2021, Emma skipped Wimbledon. She acknowledged that she wasn’t feeling her best and didn’t want to push herself unhealthily. While striving for excellence is important, understanding your limits is just as imperative. Aim for success, but don’t hesitate to take a break if the pace doesn’t feel right.
Additionally, contact your teachers, student counsellors, parents, and friends if you need help. A strong support system and a commitment to excel will ultimately help you reach your goals like Emma.
At Cambridge Home School Online, we provide a quality Cambridge online education to students across the globe. With over 20 years of experience, our institution is considered one of the most prestigious online British schools in the UK, Europe, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
Explore our four homeschooling programs: Primary Prep/Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 10), Lower School/Key Stage 3 (ages 11 to 13), Upper School/IGCSEs (ages 14 to 16), and Sixth Form/AS & A-Levels (ages 17 to 19).
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Whether you’re interested in high school online learning, school options for working parents, primary school programs, or secondary schools in the UK, you’ll find a program that’s right for you at CHS Online.
We also provide academic booster classes during the summer vacation. This program is excellent for non-CHS students who wish to switch to online schooling but haven’t quite proceeded yet. If you’re hesitant about the transition, our summer classes will help you get a taste of online learning.
If you have any questions, feel free to call/email our team. We’re always happy to help!