How a sport and exercise degree led to a career in public health

When people think about a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (BSpEx), they often picture careers in fitness, coaching, rehabilitation or performance sport. While these are valuable and rewarding pathways, they represent only part of the story.

Since April, Youyou He has been working in Ōtautahi Christchurch as a Public Health Promoter and Multi-Venue Exclusion (MVE) Coordinator for Asian Family Services (AFS), a non-governmental organisation that provides culturally responsive mental health and wellbeing services for Asian communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The role combines community engagement, health promotion, policy advocacy and client support. In the public health promotion component of her work, Youyou leads community outreach initiatives through event stalls, presentations and workshops designed to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing.

One of her current projects involves Passport to Ōtautahi, a major settlement event delivered in partnership with Christchurch City Council and local organisations to help newcomers connect with services and communities. The event attracted around 500 attendees last year, with organisers aiming to engage more people this year.

Alongside this work, Youyou coordinates regional Multi-Venue Exclusion, supporting individuals who choose to self-exclude from multiple gambling venues as part of efforts to reduce gambling-related harm. The service is funded through the Ministry of Health and is an intervention designed to support people experiencing gambling addiction or related harm.

Her responsibilities have continued to expand, including office coordination and contributing to local government policy submissions that advocate for stronger measures to prevent and minimise gambling harm.

While the role sits primarily within the mental health sector, Youyou sees strong connections between physical activity, social connection and overall wellbeing.

In the future, Youyou will lead interactive physical activity sessions for colleagues during team-building events. She also incorporates body-awareness practices such as breathing techniques and chair-based exercises into presentations that she delivers to community members and professionals.

Youyou chose to study a BSpEx at Massey due to an interest in lifestyle medicine and the power of exercise to improve health outcomes.

"Having personally experienced the benefits of regular exercise, I became fascinated by the concept of lifestyle medicine and holistic wellbeing," she explains.

"When I explored the course structure of the BSpEx in Exercise Prescription, I was genuinely excited by every subject on offer. It felt like a programme that would challenge me while equipping me with the knowledge and skills to apply lifestyle interventions despite individual differences."

The welcoming attitude of the recruitment team and the opportunity to study in the Manawatū further reinforced her decision.

"I imagined Palmerston North as a small, peaceful place with friendly people - a supportive and nourishing environment for my study and personal growth. As it turned out, my intuition was absolutely right."

During her first year at Massey, a career aptitude assessment identified Health Promoter as one of her top career matches.

"The role immediately caught my attention, but at the time it felt somewhat out of reach. I assumed that only graduates with the 'perfect' major and a highly specialised background would be competitive for such a position."

However, she realised that employers often value transferable skills as much as technical knowledge.

Looking back, Youyou sees every assignment, practicum experience, piece of feedback, and challenge as contributing to the professional she has become, and she feels fortunate that she followed her intuition and chose to study at Massey.

“What seemed like a series of small decisions at the time ultimately shaped the health professional I am today. Every step I took, every piece of feedback I applied, and every challenge I worked through contributed to my development as a competent Public Health Promoter and MVE Coordinator. More importantly, they prepared me to make a meaningful contribution to the holistic wellbeing of the communities I serve.”

Find out more about the BSpEx at the interactive on-campus workshop in the Manawatū on 16 July.