Modern pentathlon to medicine and military
Medical student Kerenza Bryson talks about her Olympic journey so far
“On the day that I found out I’d passed my finals, I also won the world cup.”
Few, if any, could say that sentence truthfully – and even fewer would be able to do it in as relaxed a manner as medical graduate, Kerenza Bryson.
But as she phones from a training camp in Sicily, where she’s currently focusing on securing her place in modern pentathlon at the Paris Olympics, there seems to be a running theme of innocently mentioning achievements as if they were items on a shopping list.
“Every day during my degree I tried to fit in at least four hours of training around my study and placement, squeezing running training between lectures, whilst listening to revision podcasts. I placed top six in each of the six international events I competed in last year, including a bronze medal in the world championships, most of them while studying. I often had competitions followed by exams so had to revise medical flashcards and do past-papers on the plane. I wanted to achieve good enough marks to finish in the top half of the year, which I managed to do.”
Pausing for a moment, she then laughs: “I look back now though and wonder how I did it all! But I’m glad I did, as it has prepared me for upcoming challenges.”
And a challenge is absolutely what lies ahead. There are two spots in Team GB for modern pentathlon (which includes show jumping, swimming, running, shooting and fencing) – and Kerenza is currently one of two athletes who have met the required standard to be chosen. But, with several qualifying events to go before the final decision, she’s not resting on any laurels.
“Normally you’d do well to get a couple of people at the required standard, but we have a pool of about six of us who could realistically make it. It’s great for Team GB, but I just need to keep fit, injury free and focused.”
Her position is a rare one too, as normally, medical graduates are required to go straight into practice for two years of foundation training before progressing to their chosen field. But Kerenza’s sporting excellence leveraged the decision to let her defer a year so she could train for her dream full time.
“I know how lucky I am to have this opportunity. I’ll be working in Bristol or Bath and will be looking forward to getting started when the sporting season is over. The Severn Deanery, where my chosen placement sits, have been so helpful and supportive in letting me defer, and I’m really grateful for that.”
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Kerenza was also allowed a year off from her university studies to train for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Sadly, while the Olympics were delayed a year following the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerenza’s studies could not be.
“I completely understood that I couldn’t defer for two years but it was hard coming back to Plymouth and watching the team continue training and competing internationally. Thankfully sport is about mental as well as physical strength, and I had to draw on that to spur me on this time.”
While currently in Sicily for a training camp, she is usually based in Bath, where the Team GB modern pentathlon team is based. However, as she chose to study in her home city of Plymouth, she spent her university years as a ‘satellite athlete’ and had to draw on a lot of skills in order to keep the necessary standard.
“In Bath, we have a head coach that organises everything for us, including access to national coaches for each discipline. While in Plymouth, I was pretty much my own head coach, and sought out individual coaches myself, keeping in touch with the team in Bath and ensuring I was meeting the required times. I just had to plan everything really well to get it all done.”
These skills no doubt transfer to her other passion – being an Army reservist. She trained to officer level at Sandhurst during 2020 while COVID-19 put a stop to her competing, and is currently a Troop Commander in 165 Port and Maritime Reserve Regiment RLC who are fully supportive of her journey to the Olympics. Ultimately, she hopes to become an Army emergency medic.
“I loved my emergency medicine placement while studying, so that first planted the seed. My Great Uncle was in the Army, my mum and dad are a nurse and doctor respectively, so there’s a family link, but I know that’s what I want to do.”
Reflecting for a moment, Kerenza also credits her family’s support in enabling her to train and study simultaneously.
“As much as I had to train, study, and do Army work most of the time, I never had time for anything else – literally, I barely had time to do food shops! My parents were absolutely amazing supporting me, and thinking about it, I probably wouldn’t have got into modern pentathlon at all had it not been for my mum. She’s a horse-riding instructor, and I found a love of modern pentathlon around age 10, after Olympian Heather Fell visited our Pony Club. I remember the fencing kit falling off me! But I loved having a go.”
Kerenza has maintained her love of horses from childhood, and show jumping remains her favourite of the five pentathlon events.
“In modern pentathlon, you get 20 minutes to meet and practice with your horse before having to compete. I usually take a few mints to win the horse over and create a partnership! It is no time at all – as it can take years to build a trusting relationship – but if you can get along with the horse and jump a lovely round in the ring, those few minutes are one of the best parts in the competition for me.”
And 20 minutes is about where the phone call draws to a close, with more training in the Italian sun calling her away. Almost indicative of her life and career so far, the conversation has yielded a huge amount in a very short time.
I’m travelling to Budapest, Cairo and Ankara over the next few months to compete in world cup events, and I really hope it goes well. Either way, with the Olympics in sight, it’s good to be focusing on one thing for now – and it’ll definitely feel strange not to be revising for summer exams if and when I make it.