Engineering PhD student, Nicole Sharples achieves international success in artistic roller skating

Nicole recently represented herself at two major international artistic roller skating competitions in Italy, competing in the highest category of Senior Ladies.

Nicole delivered exceptional performances against elite international athletes, achieving a top 10 finish in one competition and securing an impressive silver medal in another — a remarkable accomplishment at the highest level of international competition.

Alongside her sporting success, Nicole is currently pursuing a PhD within the School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, where her research focuses on sustainable circular textiles, contributing to innovative solutions that support sustainability and circular economy principles in the textile sector.

Nicole’s journey reflects an inspiring combination of academic excellence, sporting dedication, and engineering innovation. Before beginning her PhD, she graduated from the University of Birmingham with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Year in Industry in 2023.

During her industrial placement year, Nicole worked within the Design Office at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, gaining valuable industry experience in one of the world’s leading high-performance engineering environments.

She was also an active and highly valued member of the University’s Formula Student team, UBRacing, where she held several technical leadership roles, including Manufacturing Engineer, Aerodynamics Development Engineer, and later Head of Aerodynamics.

Nicole’s achievements highlight the breadth of talent within our student community and demonstrate how dedication, resilience, and passion can enable success both inside and outside academia.

We warmly congratulate Nicole on her recent international achievements and look forward to seeing her continued success in both her research and sporting career.