Graduations 2025: Gillian proves success is a marathon, not a sprint

Published on 9, July, 2025

A mature student who was forced to hang up her running shoes because of a serious leg injury is now seeing her marathon effort in pursuing a new career pay off.

For 54-year-old Gillian Hepplewhite, getting back into education after a long time away from the classroom was a daunting prospect – but now, the former runner is crossing a different kind of finish line – as she graduates from the University of Sunderland with a Sociology degree.

Gillian, from South Shields, said: “As an ‘extra’ mature student I was quite anxious about starting, thinking I wouldn’t fit in. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

“My course was attended by people from all walks of life and of different ages. I have made some really good friends and learned a lot from the young people on my course. During my time at Sunderland, I have felt not only fully supported by the University, but that I actually belonged there, and that makes learning so much easier.”

Gillian’s graduation journey has been a rollercoaster ride. In 2016, she was diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, a painful and debilitating condition primarily affecting the joints. Determined to give herself the best quality of life, Gillian began a healthy diet and started to exercise, which resulted in her losing four stone.

Gillian began running with the South Shields Harriers and completed several 5k, 10k and half marathon races. She attended track and field Masters athletics meetings (competitions for athletes aged 35 and over) and competed in hammer throwing, shot put and running events, winning gold medals for her throwing.

She started competing in triathlons with South Shields Tri and trail running in the North East Harrier League, which led to her training for the Kielder Dark Skies Marathon and the Chevy Chase, a 20-mile fell run across the Cheviots in Northumberland.

However, Gillian never got the chance to complete them, as three days after competing in her first official fell run in Guisborough in December 2017, she slipped on black ice while training, shattering her ankle and breaking her leg in four places.

After two unsuccessful surgeries to pin her ankle joint back together and months of non-weight bearing, Gillian’s third operation to fuse her ankle was delayed until June 2021 because of COVID. During this time, Gillian’s mental health deteriorated due to the impact the accident had on her health, fitness and social life.

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Gillian has never regained her previous level of fitness but feels studying at the University has given her a renewed sense of direction and purpose in life.

Before her studies, Gillian worked for a local not-for-profit organisation managing a small team of caseload advisors providing support and training to people facing challenges in securing employment. 

Gillian said: “After 15 years in my job I decided I wanted to complete a degree to broaden my career options and improve my mental health which had deteriorated due to not being able to train after my accident.

“So, I enrolled part-time on the Sociology BSc course in 2022. I did my first year as a part-time student, and to my amazement found not only that I absolutely loved it, but that I was getting decent marks, and I was happy again. I was looking for a new challenge, so going full-time at the University was an easy decision to make.”

Gillian is one of thousands of students taking to the stage at the Stadium of Light this week (Monday 7 July – Friday 11 July) for the University of Sunderland Summer Graduation Ceremonies.

She will now go on to study Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in the Sociology of Media and Culture at Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Gillian applied for the MPhil after completing a four-week paid internship on the University of Cambridge Social Sciences and Humanities Access to Research Experience (SHARE) programme in her second year. She found out about the internship through Sunderland’s Employability and Enterprise Hub at the Centre for Graduate Prospects, which helps students explore their options, clarify their ideas, develop a career focus, and make effective applications.

So, what advice would Gillian give to someone thinking of going to university later in life?

“If you are thinking of switching careers and becoming a mature student, I would say just do it,” she said.

“There is enormous satisfaction and fulfilment in studying something you are interested in. You never know where your journey will take you. If I hadn’t enrolled at the University of Sunderland, my life and future would be very different.

“I would love to think I could work in social research in some capacity for the rest of my career, maybe even complete a PhD at some point – but who knows, my journey may take another unexpected, exciting turn.”

Dr Matthew Durey, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of Sunderland, said: “It’s been wonderful watching Gillian develop as a student, but even better to see what this means for Gillian going forward.

“Gillian came to us as a mature student looking to take on new challenges and a new direction, and her success is testament to the genuinely life changing opportunities that education and the University of Sunderland offer.

"We are all delighted with Gillian’s results and look forward to watching her succeed in the next chapter of her life.”