Wake up. Walk to the spare room. Work. Leave the spare room. Sleep. Repeat.
That has pretty much been my year, as it has also been for many people during the year of Covid-19. When you look at it like that, it does sound boring and repetitive. However, my placement year has honestly been the complete and utter opposite, to boring and repetitive.
I have grown a lot in the past 9 months. I’ve gained confidence. I’ve adapted to changing scenarios and situations with ease and optimism. I’ve learnt to love the passion and care towards our engaged participants and communities. On top of all of this and more, I have truly gained a deep appreciation and an understanding for mass participation event organisers; even more so whilst navigating their way through a global pandemic.
At present, Threshold Sports has a lean team of around 20 people. Don’t be fooled though, a small team does not mean it cannot achieve great things. It’s often quite unbelievable to reflect on how much Threshold delivers year on year with such a compact team behind all of its events. There are endless benefits to working within a close-knit and lean team, and these have become so clear to me during my placement year at Threshold.
I really do feel lucky to have been among the select few to do their work placement here. From Yoglates to the Strava club, to well-being coffee catch ups and monthly company ‘organised fun’ (which usually involves dressing up), there are so many great perks to make use of and benefit from. I’ve had the privilege of dressing up as a hippie, a Brit on holiday, Boris Johnson, a Halloween phantom, and Santa, during my time so far.
It isn’t a surprise that Threshold care so much about our health and well-being, as they are practically industry leaders when it comes to supporting clients to improve their employee’s well-being and engagement levels.
The final 3 months of my placement year at Threshold are looking positive and promising. Sports facilities, hospitality and shops will start to open up again and we all look to be making use of the new Brighton Office at my favourite time of the year, summer! With event preparation fully underway for the 2021 Threshold Events season, every day we inch closer to experiencing the events that I’ve been imagining since I first joined, and I can’t wait.
I am very much looking forward to the physical and mental challenge. Working behind all of the races and rides and engaging with participants about their stories and their ‘why’ has already really inspired me, there’s no doubt that watching them all cross over the finish lines will increase my motivation to take on a huge challenge of the sort in the near future.
As I come closer to the end of my year here, not only does it make me emotional to think about leaving this amazing little company and its people, but it has also made me even more motivated to go back to Uni and smash my degree in Sport Management, so that I can come out of University and live a happy and fulfilled life working in a company that treats their staff as well as Threshold Sports do.
Company culture is such an important engagement factor for me, and I know for a fact that in any job I take on in the future, I will subconsciously compare that culture to that of Thresholds. I have had the opportunity to develop on so many levels during my Placement year and it’s not even over yet! I’ve worked across multiple projects, multiple departments, and I’ve been able to grow professionally; myself and my network.
The experience I’ve gained is unrivalled to any kind of experience I would’ve gained at a larger company. I enjoy a challenge, I want to be pushed, and I want to become the best that I can be. I truly believe that Threshold Sports has been the best introduction into the ever-changing, competitive Sport Industry.
Here’s to making the most of my final 3 months at Threshold!
by Brooke Palmer.
For more information on future work placement opportunities at Threshold, please email careers@thresholdsports.co.uk.
