Marah Mohammad Ishraf studies with the University of Stirling at the Singapore Institute of Management Global Education. The 22-year-old Sports Studies and Marketing student also captains Singapore’s national Rugby Sevens team. We took 5 minutes to get to know Marah a little better…

What’s your average day like?

I usually wake up early and make myself a hearty breakfast. I train four times a week, so the days I have training and University can be very long indeed. On days that I’m not training, I’ll recover at home or doing class work. I take the weekends to spend some time with my family and friends when I can.

What inspires you?

Achieving my dream of playing professional rugby definitely keeps me going! In reality though, it’s my team mates who inspire me. It sounds like a cliché but I mean it: we all have the same goal to play for one another and give 100% when we get on the field. We’ve been through many intensive training sessions together and whenever I feel like giving up I just look across my shoulder to see my team mates persevering and that spurs me on.

The pride and honour of representing my country also motivates me to train hard. As a kid I always wanted to represent Singapore and not many people get the opportunity to do this, so I’m grateful and do not take it for granted.

What’s your proudest achievement?

Winning a bronze medal at the South East Asian (SEA) Games in 2015 is my proudest achievement to date. The full year of training prior to the Games really paid off. We wanted the Gold and fell just short but the journey to the SEA Games is one I’ll remember forever.

Where do you see yourself after University?

Upon graduating from Stirling I would love to work in an organisation that focuses on sports management or sports marketing. I hope to apply what I learn in school when I start working in the future. There’s also part of me that wants to be in the Singapore Police Force: I was a Police Officer at the Airport Police Division and I really enjoyed my stint there. You never know what the future holds!

Favourite thing about the University of Stirling?

The best thing about studying at Stirling is that I know I am getting a well-rounded education from one of the top universities in Scotland. As a sportsman, I can relate the modules I am studying to the practicalities of playing sport, which gives me a better understanding overall.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I own seven pairs of rugby boots – quite a lot for just one pair of legs!

What’s your motto?

Keep challenging yourself until your dreams come true.