UWA helps student athletes explore their interests, pursue their passions and open doors to invest in their personal, athletic and professional growth.
We spoke with UWA Alumnae Heidi Gan and Tamsin Cook, both former professional athletes and medallists, about how they achieved dual success in their individual sporting and professional careers, while also empowering other athletes to likewise undertake study and professional growth alongside their sporting goals.
Heidi Gan
After Heidi left UWA, she decided to pursue her career in law, realising she could still follow her passions through her work, one of them being travel.
Tell us about yourself
“Hi, I’m Heidi. I am a born and bred Perth girl, who represented Malaysia in the marathon swim event (a 10km open water race) on the world stage at London in 2012 and 2016. I am now happily retired from sport but continue my involvement in sport through various Board and governance positions."
Please tell us a little about your career journey since leaving UWA?
“Since leaving UWA, I have worked at two private practice law firms (one a top-tier local Perth firm, the other an international top-tier “Magic Circle” firm) and in-house at an ASX-listed mining company. I have worked in a diverse range of practice areas, starting in corporate law, then moving into disputes and most recently, general practice in-house where I also take on Company Secretary responsibilities. I have worked in various jurisdictions and offices around the world in these roles. It’s fair to say my taste for international travel, which I developed during my sporting career, has carried over into my professional career!”
What motivated you to explore interests and passions outside of sport?
“I have always wanted a professional career to go to after I left my sporting career behind. I had seen close friends struggle after sport, without other goals to pursue, and I wanted to guard against that as much as possible. That motivated me to continue studying while swimming and furthering my professional career in parallel with my sporting career. Making the decision to retire from sport is not easy. When you have spent most of your life dedicated to a sport, it just becomes a part of your life and who you are. When I retired, I had been swimming competitively for more than 25 years."
Tamsin Cook
Tamsin sat for her final UWA exam online in Cairns, just before flying to Tokyo to compete in her second Games. Since then, she has had many exciting milestones, including a move to Melbourne to continue her swimming career and joining the athlete leadership group for the Australian Dolphins.
Tell us about yourself
“My name is Tamsin Cook and I graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Arts in 2021. I also worked for UWA Sport in a Graduate Officer role during 2020. I have been an athlete for many years and I have been fortunate to compete in two games (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021) as a member of the Australian Swim Team."
What did you enjoy the most about studying the Bachelor of Arts at UWA?
“Through completing my Bachelor of Arts degree I got to work with tutors and students who were really accomplished people. Many of my tutors had real-world experience in their respective fields of study and were keen to share those experiences with us. My course also required me to discuss, debate and work with fellow students, which I really enjoyed as it challenged me to think in novel ways about the material we were engaging with."
What motivated you to explore interests and passions outside of sport?
"I always knew I would pursue a professional career outside of my sport. Swimming is a sport that has a time limit and I knew that I wouldn't be an athlete forever. I’d always had an interest in law and justice, but I didn’t want to go straight into a such a demanding degree. So, as I’d always loved English in school, I chose to major in English Literary Studies and Communications and Media at UWA. My undergraduate studies provided me with really solid foundational skills in research, essay writing, and helped me become more creative with my learning. These skills have become super valuable as I’ve continued in my academic career, and I’m very glad I acquired them before beginning my postgrad studies in law."
What are your future career plans?
"I’m not too sure what my future career plans are yet! Right now, I’m mostly focused on finishing my law degree and making the most of every opportunity that gets thrown my way. After that, I’d love to experience working overseas for a bit.
Additionally, I hope to keep contributing to my sport in some capacity I’d like to stay involved post-retirement and use my experiences and skills to help grow and better the sport of swimming."
