Liam Plunkett Widens His Skillset with a Personal Training Course via The Training Room

Cricket World Cup winner and England fast-bowler, Liam Plunkett, has teamed up with The Training Room, one of the UK’s most respected health and fitness education providers, to complete his Level 3 and 4 Qualifications in Personal Training and widen his professional skillset in preparation for the future.

With the average major cricket career lasting 12 to 15 years for a batsman and 10 years for a bowler, according to ESPN cricinfo, even the world’s best cricketers are retiring at young ages. Knowing what to do after your sports career finishes can be a tricky dilemma (and testing time) for any sportsperson, and while many top-level athletes find themselves entering punditry roles and becoming TV personalities, many more find themselves searching for a new career.

The struggles of former athletes when they’re no longer under the bright lights of professional sport have been well-documented, and, although Liam’s playing days are far from over, with two more years on his Surrey contract, as well as a series of T20 bookings and the Hundred Championship already in his calendar, Liam is determined to make a smooth transition into the next chapter of his life away from the boundaries when that time arrives. By training to become a PT with The Training Room as he enters the later stages of his playing career, Liam is ensuring that he’s already got a path laid out when the day comes to bowl his last professional over.

Having begun his top-flight career with Durham in 2003, Liam has gone on to amass over 450 first-class wickets and over 620 test caps for England, and will go down in history as part of England’s triumphant one day international team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup against New Zealand, playing a crucial role in a dramatic final by taking three wickets, including that of the Kiwi’s captain, Kane Williamson.

With a wealth knowledge in training, nutrition and elite performance, developed during a long and illustrious career, personal training seemed like a great match, and, once qualified, Liam will be in a unique position to offer his future clients the very best guidance and support to help them achieve their health and fitness goals.

Liam said: “No matter whether it’s cricket or another aspect of my life, I think it’s important to keep looking forward. With cricket, I’ve always strived to be the very best version of myself, so I’m always thinking about what I can do next to improve my performance on the pitch. We all know that nothing is guaranteed in professional sport; we all get older and things can change at the flick of a switch, so I recognise the importance of planning ahead. An injury or stroke of bad luck is all you need to bring your career to a sudden stop, which is why I’ve teamed up with The Training Room, in my opinion, the best health and fitness training providers in the UK, to ensure that I have something to jump straight into once my time in whites is over, which hopefully isn’t for a while yet, as I still feel as though I have much to give to the game.

“As someone who’s lived and breathed sports my whole life, I couldn’t just step away from it entirely. It’s in my blood, so becoming a qualified PT seems like the ideal way to stay connected to the thing I love. I’m really interested in how strength and conditioning training can help and enhance professional sport, and, with The Training Room now offering this qualification, it just made sense to work with the market leaders.”

Liam continued: “Through personal training, I will be able to help and inspire other people to pursue their own personal goals using the knowledge and expertise I’ve gained from a professional career that’s taught, and given, me so much. Who knows, perhaps I may even train a future England fast-bowler!” 

With The Training Room, you don’t have to do all of your training in the classroom. In fact, if you want to, you can train to become a PT entirely through online learning, which is the version Liam will be taking. You can also choose from part-time and full-time courses, which makes it fully achievable to fit your learning around any current schedules and commitments.

For Liam, this welcome flexibility will allow him to add a new string to his bow while continuing to juggle the demands of being a pro cricketer, safe in the knowledge that he’ll be receiving the top-quality education necessary to become a great PT.

© Cricket World 2019