Olympics to the NHS frontline, athlete does it all

Olympic modern pentathlete, Army reserve officer and now qualified doctor, Kerenza Bryson has more going on in her life than the average 25-year-old.

She juggles swimming, fencing, horse riding, shooting and running training while working at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

She made her Olympic debut in Paris 2024, finishing in ninth place after being the top qualifier for the final.

Bryson, from Plymouth, started her medical training six years ago, taking two years out to train as an athlete full-time.

Both of her parents come from a healthcare background. Her father is a scuba diving doctor and her mother is a nurse.

She said the family connection was the "initial spark that set off my passion for being a doctor", and "I really loved the idea of the problem solving, but also the difference you can make to people's lives".

But doing it all came with its challenges, combining long days studying with her training schedule as an elite athlete.

"It was a very full-on schedule and routine's really important for me to be able to keep going with that week in, week out," she said.

"I had an amazing support network around me which helps me do that. But I had to make a lot of sacrifices that the average student probably wouldn't".

She graduated from medical school in 2023 and qualified for her first Olympics the same year after a run of top international results saw her become the European champion.

Despite her disappointment at not getting a medal in Paris, Bryson now sees the experience as a huge achievement.

"It was so incredible, and to be shoulder to shoulder with people who I have looked up to as inspirational role models for so long and being able to go out and do my thing in front of a crowd that big, it was just like a dream," she said.

"I didn't quite get the result I wanted in the end, but it was my first Olympics. Nothing can prepare you for all the variables and pressures of competing at the games, but I was very grateful to have so many friends and family there to watch me and just such an amazing team around me."

Bryson said she has taken many of the skills developed as an athlete into her training as a doctor, including "resilience, time management and organisation".

But the change from full-time athlete to full-time doctor has been a challenge, "I'm struggling to balance as much training as I would like at the moment," she said.

Bryson added it is "trial and error, I am trying to figure out the best way that I can manage it all. It's all a learning process".

She said she is concentrating on her newest role at the RUH.

"I am trying to focus on getting into the flow of being a doctor and giving my patients the best care and not prioritising sport right now," she said.

"Once I'd done my first year of medicine full-time I can then look at what's achievable and hopefully move back into full-time sport, where I'll be focusing on World Cups and qualification for the LA Olympics in 2028."

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