Julia Tilley

AKA "Julia"

• Location: New Zealand

"Hi everyone, my name is Julia Tilley and I am a Gisborne-raised beach volleyball fanatic. My love of sports started at an early age and coupled with my competitive nature, saw me involved in a variety of sports. In 2007 I captained the Campion College senior A volleyball, netball and basketball teams, while also achieving academically and fulfilling my responsibilities as a school prefect. Later that year I was named Campion College Sportswoman of the Year and with my beach volleyball partner, won the Poverty Bay Sports Team of the Year award. That was the year my real passion for beach volleyball began, and a silver medal at the secondary school championships earned my partner and I a spot in the New Zealand team and cemented my commitment to the discipline. In 2008 I headed to Waikato University, with a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship under my belt, to complete a three-year Degree in Sport and Leisure majoring in Management Communications. This was followed by a post-graduate diploma in primary teaching. Over this time I remained devoted to beach volleyball, making elite NZ high performance squads and competing in the under 19 and under 21 world champs, as well as a host of other tournaments in such places as Korea, Thailand, Poland and Indonesia. It's now 2012 and my passion for beach volleyball is stronger than ever, coming off the back of a successful season with my partner and I being selected as the number one team to compete in China in the Olympic qualifier. This has made me more determined to become a professional beach volleyball player and compete at a top international level. I would love for you to be a part of my sporting journey towards the 2016 Olympic Games and beyond, in my quest to put New Zealand on the international beach volleyball map."

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