My first year proved to be challenging because I did not get into the Marylebone Cricket Club Universities (MCCU) academy. I made progress from the club during the next few years, and managed to play for the academy occasionally. My real lifeline occurred during my third and final year when I was walking through campus with a friend and course mate - Alexandra Brown. We were discussing how students manage to balance elite sport with academics, and because I was travelling frequently with the Kenyan national team, she said that I should split my final year; this would mean spending a fourth year at Loughborough. After analysing the costs and benefits, I decided to take her advice and return.