St Mary’s Alumnus The Body Coach Addresses Graduates

One of St Mary’s University, Twickenham’s most famous alumni Joe Wicks returned to address the School of Sport, Health and Applied Science graduating class of 2017 at a ceremony in Westminster Cathedral today.

Also known as The Body Coach, Joe has revolutionised the nation’s approach to diet and fitness. After studying Sport Science at St Mary’s, Joe graduated in 2008 and began his career running exercise camps in nearby towns. 

Inspired by his degree, Joe realised that his fitness clients needed help with their nutrition alongside exercising, and launched The Body Coach and the 90-day Shift, Shape and Sustain programme with a mission to get the nation fit. 

Having sold 2.5 million books in 18 months, hosted a television programme, and overseen 100,000 client transformations, Joe is now a go to expert for the media and has over two million followers on social media.

In his address, Joe told students about his journey, including graduating from St Mary’s to becoming a successful business owner and social media superstar. He told graduates about how he used his degree to become one of the country’s most successful fitness and health gurus and encouraged them to follow their goals and be creative to find the right career.

St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Francis Campbell said, “We were delighted to welcome Joe back to address our graduates. It is almost ten years since he sat in the same seats in Westminster Cathedral with his colleagues in the class of 2008.

“His success since he graduated from St Mary’s serves as an inspiration to our current and future students, as well as our global alumni community. I am certain his words today will motivate our graduates to discover rewarding and successful careers, and I hope they too will come back and share their experience with our students.”