Speakers

Emily Campbell is a trailblazing British weightlifter and Olympic silver and bronze medallist, making history as the first British woman to win an Olympic medal in the sport at Tokyo 2020. A dominant force in the super-heavyweight category, she is also a multiple Commonwealth, European, and World Championship medallist, cementing her status as one of the strongest and most inspiring athletes in the sport. 

The former BUCS athlete and Leeds Beckett University graduate is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and body confidence, using her profile to break down barriers and inspire the next generation. Her charisma and determination have made her a sought-after speaker, podcaster and ambassador, working with leading brands and organisations to promote strength in all forms. As she continues her journey, Emily remains a role model both in and out of competition, proving that resilience, confidence, and hard work can lead to extraordinary success. 

Richard Whitehead MBE is a Paralympic Gold Medallist, professional athlete, marathon runner and a passionate diversity and inclusion champion. 

Having been born with a double through-knee congenital amputation, Richard developed a passion for sport at an early age, with his parents encouraging him to participate in sports and teaching him how to live a life without limits.

He's achieved gold and silver medals in the ParalympicsGB team, including winning a gold medal in the T42 200m on home soil at London 2012.

Launched in 2021, Richard is also the president of The Richard Whitehead Foundation, a charity which enables disabled people's ambitions through sport and activity and removes barriers.

During her 15 year international rugby career, Rocky played in four Rugby World Cups for England, who became World Champions in 2014 and won seven Six Nations Grand Slams.

In 2016 Rocky broke the World Record to become the world’s most capped rugby player of all time and retired with 137 Caps for England. She has played four times for the Barbarians, and was a key player for her clubs Worcester, Wasps & Saracens.

Rocky remains the Most Capped Front Row Forward in Women’s World Rugby.

Amanda is Vice-Chancellor and President of University of East London and has over 15 years’ experience of Board-level executive and non-executive roles.

Amongst Amanda’s numerous notable achievements, she led the development of the University Academy 92, building the distinctive industry-facing ‘Target Talent Curriculum’, founded by Manchester United’s Class of ’92 and Lancaster University. At the University of East London, one of the most socially inclusive universities in the UK, with a community of over 40,000 students representing 160+ nationalities, she is leading considerable success in advancing the diversity of the talent pipeline, building health gain to drive learning gain and delivering a transformative contribution for a healthier, happier, greener and fairer world.

Dr Stephanie Harris is currently the Director of Strategy, Insight and Member Engagement at Universities UK (UUK), the representative body for UK universities where she has worked for 7 years in various roles. These roles have included leading UUK’s immigration policy, managing the organisation’s international response to the covid-19 pandemic, and developing UUK’s current strategic plan.

In her current role, Steph acts as a senior adviser to the CEO and makes sure UUK’s work is driven by and for its membership.  The focus of Steph’s career has been higher education policy and influencing, first as an SU sabbatical officer then as a Policy Officer to the Vice-Chancellor at Bath Spa University and finally at UUK. Steph holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Bristol and is a current trustee at Bristol Students’ Union.

Orrin Carson and Robyn Munro are junior curlers from Dumfries and Galloway who made history by winning gold representing BUCS and GB Students at the first-ever Mixed Doubles Curling event at the World University Games in Torino, Italy. Robyn was also honoured to be selected by the delegation to be flag-bearer at the opening ceremony and to be named Athlete of the Year by her University's Sports Union in 2025. Both are three-time Scottish Junior Champions and have represented Scotland at World Junior Championships where Robyn won Gold in 2023 and Orrin earning two bronze medals both in 2023 and most recently in Cortina in Italy in April this year. They finished 5th at the inaugural World Junior Mixed Doubles Championships in Edmonton, Canada in May. Outside of curling, Robyn recently graduated from the University of Strathclyde graduating with a first-class honours degree in Politics and International Relations and Orrin completed a HND in Coaching and Developing Sport from Dumfries and Galloway College.

Chris brings a wealth of experience from major multi-sport Games, including the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Team GB and five World University Games (WUGS). He led the British Team as Chef de Mission at the Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy (2025) and Lake Placid, USA (2023), having previously served as Deputy Chef de Mission in Krasnoyarsk, Russia (2019).  

Chris has been named as Team Scotland’s Deputy Chef de Mission for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, following roles as General Team Manager at Birmingham 2022 and Chef de Mission for Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games held in Trinidad and Tobago (2023).  

Outside of Games, Chris was the former Sports Union President at the University of Stirling (2011-13), where he served for two terms and continues to provide input into various BUCS Groups.

Izzy Watkins is the Senior Programme Manager for Student Space at Student Minds. In this role, she leads the management and delivery of Student Space, a website providing psychoeducational resources to help students navigate university life. Most recently, she has overseen the development of co-created resource packs for students, including Life as a Trans+ Student, Life as a Black Student, and the upcoming Life as a Neurodivergent Student. 
 
Izzy is a disabled and neurodivergent professional, with a deep personal and professional commitment to tackling structural and cultural barriers in higher education. She is particularly passionate about fostering a sense of belonging for students from marginalised communities. 
 
Prior to joining Student Minds, Izzy held various roles within higher education, including at the University of Surrey Students’ Union and the University of Exeter. She is also a trustee at Crew 2000, a drug education and harm reduction charity.

Murhad Hussain is a former Bangladesh national table tennis player, current sports scholar at the University of Lancashire, and an IOC Young Leader (2025-2028). He is passionate about using sport as a tool for community engagement, youth development, and social impact.

With a BSc in Neuroscience from the University of Manchester, she brings academic insight and lived experience to her role as Sport Sabbatical Officer. A dedicated mental health advocate, she has led University campaigns since 2023. She is passionate about making the science behind movement and mental wellbeing both accessible and actionable, showcasing its power to support mind and body. She aims to inspire and empower students across the UK through evidence-driven impact.