Academy of Sport supports professional footballer to get closer to career in health

Kate began her football career at 17, signing her first professional contract with the Wellington Phoenix Women’s team in their first season. She was first selected to play for the Football Ferns in 2022 and since then has been part of playing tours to the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 2025, Kate moved to France to play for the first division football club, FC Dijon. She has been back in New Zealand to play for the Football Ferns in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 Oceania Qualifiers. She captained the team in a match against Fiji on Saturday where the Football Ferns won 5:0.

Since 2022, Kate has been balancing football with her study towards a Bachelor of Health Science. She says this qualification is helping her learn some of things she would need to become a midwife one day while still playing professional football.

“The main reason I chose to study through Massey was because I had heard really good things about how it supports students via distance as I’m living overseas. The added bonus of my study is that I can apply a lot of what I’m learning to my day to every day life, giving me more knowledge and tools to help me become a better athlete.”

Kate is one of 24 students awarded a Gold Massey University Elite Sports Scholarship in 2026. The scholarship provides a structured academic and performance support programme for high achieving New Zealand representative athletes. The support includes assistance with time management and academic planning; free membership and access to any of our Massey gyms on the Auckland, Palmerston North or Wellington campuses; complimentary sport science services including strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports psychology sessions and mental skills training webinars.

“The scholarship and the Academy of Sport services included have supported me by building rapport and helping me navigate university deadlines and clashes. The nutritional support, onsite gym memberships (which I used a lot when I was living on campus for a period of time) and other educational webinars have helped me a lot.”

Kate says she sets aside specific times of the day to study.

“Our team tends to train in the morning, so I do a lot of my work in the afternoons when my brain is still ready to go. When schedules change or I have assignments coming up, this is when scheduling and planning ahead becomes super important.

“I do try to stay adaptable because different things pop up, especially living across the world in a different time zone. The support I receive from the academy has been really helpful to manage anything that pops up.”

During her football career Kate has overcome injuries and selection struggles. She says she tries to view each situation as an opportunity to learn from that experience.

“From a young age I have always been focussed on achieving my goals. For me, everything starts with hard work and although hard work doesn’t necessarily mean you will achieve your desired goals, if you don’t work hard and take some risks then your goals will remain thoughts instead of actions. I set the bar high and I may not always achieve the things I want to, but it gives me more room for improvement and learning opportunities. It motivates me to achieve and stay hungry for what’s next.”