Alix McIntosh is currently a first year pharmacy student at the University of Strathclyde, having left Prestwick Academy in the summer.
At the same time, the 18-year-old has been getting her sporting career off the ground having been afforded a rare opportunity by professional club the Caledonia Gladiators.
Alix is one of the first players to be supported by the Scottish franchise’s new scholarship programme which enables players to be a part of the professional side while also completing their education.
The Ayr girl says it is an opportunity she feels very lucky to be afforded with her team and is grateful for the flexibility this offers.
She said: “I only left school in the summer, so my new routine has taken a while to get used to, but I just try to take it one day at a time.
“I train for a couple of hours in the morning, then go to university for the afternoon and return to training again in the evening.
“The Caledonia Gladiators management are very supportive, they want me to succeed in my education, so they will always try to accommodate my university priorities.
“In Scotland, scholarships like this one are pretty unheard of, so I feel very lucky to be a recipient.”
Alix started playing basketball at the age of six with her local club, Ayr Storm. It was there she discovered her love and talent for the sport. She was quickly noticed as a rising star and was selected to play for the GB national team.
It was during one of these national camps that the versatile shoot guard was first notice by the East Kilbride-based Gladiators.
Alix added: “It was when I was playing with the GB squad when I met Donny McDonald, an assistant coach for Caledonia Gladiators, who invited me to come and train with their professional team.
“After those training sessions I was accepted onto the first Caledonia Gladiators’ high-performance programme last year (2023-24), playing semi professionally while I was finishing school.
“It’s incredible to play with inspirational Scottish players like Hannah Robb, Robyn Lewis and Erin McGarrachan, women I’ve always admired and looked up to.
“When I first started training with Caledonia Gladiators, the team didn’t have a home training court, but now we have Playsport Arena which was recently renovated, and the facilities are second to none.
“There’s never been a dedicated venue for basketball like this before in Scotland and having a home has really helped build up a fanbase for the club.”
(Image: Caledonian Gladiators)
Now, Alix has set her sights on building a career in the sport with the help of her head coach and former Olympian Chantelle Handy.
While she hopes to follow in her dad’s footsteps in becoming a pharmacist at some stage, she admits chasing her dream is the first goal.
She said: “I always knew I wanted to do something scientific, I’d love to pursue my career in pharmacy later on in my life, but after university basketball is the dream.
“Chantelle is great to work with, she really pushes me, making no exceptions for the fact I’m younger.
“She makes me work just as hard as everyone else and has a great way of getting the best out of each player.”
Her head coach added: “We are all really proud of Alix, she works incredibly hard on and off the court to succeed in her studies while following her dream of becoming a professional basketball player.
“Alix is a fantastic role model to young people across the country, demonstrating the opportunities available and the different pathways to achieving your goal.”
Neil Brown, director of sport and active health at Strathclyde, said: “The University’s performance sport scholarship programme prides itself on supporting athletes in pursuing a dual career, and so it gives us great pleasure to see Alix excelling on the European stage for Caledonia Gladiators whilst studying at Strathclyde.
“Likewise, we are grateful to the club for their flexibility and forward-thinking approach to supporting our students to balance their sporting and academic commitments.”