Marathon Woman — notes from a GDST alumna, runner and academic

Living proof that variety is the spice of life, Dr Danielle Sanderson (Brighton Girls alumna) talks about the multiple careers she has enjoyed – from running for Great Britain to her current role as an associate professor at UCL – and gives her younger self some life tips.

Thinking back to my school days, I remember my uncertainty and excitement about the future. When asked about my career, my answer was always a bit nebulous, as I didn’t see myself doing just one thing forever; rather, I envisaged having several careers.

My career ambitions went through various iterations. For a long while I wanted to be a doctor, until I understood that I would be too squeamish to take A level biology, and the idea – as a vegetarian since the age of six – of dissecting cadavers as part of a medical degree was simply too much. Another thought was to be a presenter on Tomorrow’s World, a TV show which covered a wide range of futuristic and innovative topics, many of which have come to fruition, such as hybrid working.

Nowhere on my radar, though, was a career in athletics. At school, I was a second team player, and as athletics wasn’t offered as a sport, I had no inkling that I could run. But I was always driven, competitive, and ambitious.

After university, (I read physics at Oxford) I went to work at CERN (The European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Geneva before joining a company working in operational research and computer programming. My first career.

A few years later, I moved into training and taught various courses, including computer programming, project management, effective business writing, and presentation techniques. My second career.

We always included goal setting and action planning in these courses, and so I thought I should set some goals of my own, too. These included running a marathon in under three hours – something that I achieved in 1990 when I ran the London Marathon in 2 hours 50 minutes. This led to an athletics career alongside working and having a family, in which I represented Great Britain 21 times, including at the Commonwealth Games and World and European Championships. My third career also worked as a freelancer for a real estate consultancy advising commercial property owners on tenant satisfaction. My fourth career, which led to my fifth.

The managing director wanted to sponsor a PhD to research the return on investment in customer service in the property industry, and I was the successful recipient of this opportunity. So at the age of 50, I embarked on my fifth career as an academic. After completing my PhD, I became a lecturer at UCL and am currently an associate professor of Real Estate and program director for the BSc in Urban Planning and Real Estate.

To my school-aged self, therefore, I would advocate having plans, goals, and ambitions, as it is deeply satisfying to achieve these. But, be flexible and open to serendipity and unexpected opportunities. I would reassure my younger self that straight As are not as crucial for a successful life and career as I had thought. And finally, I would say don’t put unrealistic pressure on yourself. Things will work out satisfactorily over multiple careers.

GDST Life Alumnae Magazine