Seek Wisdom

We caught up with Keishin, a first-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) student at UWA and the 2024 recipient of the UWA Sports Excellence Scholarship. He shared his experience of how the scholarship has supported him in balancing his commitments as an elite judo player and his studies in engineering. 

For Keishin, the UWA scholarship has supported him financially to perform athletically and academically to achieve at a high-level.  

This year marks my 13th year in judo. My greatest accomplishment so far has been winning the senior, over 21 national championships this year at the age of 18. 

Keishin Ochi, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) student and recipient of the 2024 UWA Sports Excellence Scholarship 

Balancing the rigorous demands of elite sports with the challenges of an engineering degree is no small feat, but Keishin's dedication and talent shine through both on the mat and in the classroom. 

 
Why did you choose to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at UWA?  

As a judo player, I have been training at the UWA Judo Club since the very start which naturally allowed me to continue my study at UWA. I was fortunately good at maths and physics in high school, which allowed me to achieve a 97.75 ATAR and gave me the opportunity to study engineering, where I can use my strength as an advantage in the real world. 

The Sports Excellence Scholarship played a huge part in me choosing to study at UWA, as I knew the scholarship would greatly support me in my future career. I first heard about the scholarship in high school when UWA came to my school and had a presentation about the different scholarships that were available. Then I attended the Sports Excellence Scholarship tour during the school holidays where I learnt more about the benefits for applying for the scholarship. 

How has the scholarship helped you to continue your passion for sport while studying?  

Firstly, financial support is a huge aspect of the scholarship which has supported me to both academically and athletically perform at a high level. Since judo is a minor sport in Australia, there isn’t much funding to compete overseas even for the world championships that I was selected for in 2022. Due to these circumstances, the scholarship allowed me to focus on training, competing and studying without the need for financial worries.  

Another aspect that was helpful, was how I could rearrange exam dates and due dates for my assignments. As I travel overstates and overseas regularly for competitions, it is hard to always finish assignments on time or attend all on campus tests and exams. The flexibility of being able to change these dates allowed me focus on my competition and not worry about uni work.  

What do you enjoy the most about studying the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at UWA?  

Currently, the most enjoyable aspect about the engineering course, is being able to learn skills that were new from high school, such as coding, and continuing from high school physics and maths. Meeting new people in different classes is always fun and is a great aspect of attending classes on campus.  

Can you describe your experience competing in Judo?  

The most recent memorable moment was when I won the 2024 senior national championships. Since my first national gold medal in 2018, I had won a gold medal every year in my own age group, until 2023 where I could not perform due to an injury. But this year, I had finally won the gold medal in the over 21 years category at the age of 18 which was personally a huge achievement. 
 
What advice would you give to someone interested in applying for a UWA Sports Excellence Scholarship to continue their passion for sport? 

If there are students that play a sport at a high level, or are considering applying for a sport scholarship, don’t hesitate and go straight for the application. Also don’t leave the application until the last few days of the due date because you want to collect different evidence and proof that you play a sport at a high level to maximise the chances of getting the scholarship. Don’t be humble when you’re applying and be proud of what you have achieved.  

Hear from Keishin and Rhiannon, two of our current UWA Sports Excellence Scholarship recipients, as they share how the scholarship is helping them balance both sport and study.

I recommend all future students playing a sport to apply for the scholarship especially because there is nothing to lose, and only benefits to gain to further your sporting achievements. 

Keishin Ochi, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) student and recipient of the 2024 UWA Sports Excellence Scholarship 

Unlock your potential and apply now for the UWA Sports Excellence Scholarship.