The power to influence
On campus with Dalitso Mwale (intercalated BSc Medical Sciences with Humanities, Philosophy and Law, Fourth Year), TikTok creator, Imperial Communications Division.
Words: Jo Caird Photography: Hannah Maule-ffinch
I go to the gym at Ethos, Imperial’s sports facility, five or six times a week. Before I came to Imperial, I’d go to the gym maybe twice a week – I was taking rest days all the time and I’d be so tired. Now I go even if I don’t feel like going because I know I’ll bump into someone – it’s mostly students in there and everyone’s so friendly. So, I get all my work done and go before the gym closes in the evening.
I’m all about the free weights. The gym is never too busy, because you have to book in for your session, but even if it is crowded, people are always sharing equipment. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you just ask someone.
People ask you what you’re lifting, if you need a spot, or can they join in with you. And when you start seeing someone over and over again it can develop into a nice friendship and it makes you want to go even more. I’ve made countless friends, and the friendships are social but also help you in your gym experience. It can be competitive, but always in a good way. After the gym we might grab a drink and some food to refuel. I’ve been training consistently since coming to Imperial last September, so people tell me they’ve noticed how my body has changed!
At university, everyone is in their groups. I’m always around medicine students, but then when I go to the gym, I’ll be with engineering students, maths students, computer scientists, plus people in different years. It’s quite cool.
You’ll see the gym on my TikTok, both my personal account and on the Imperial TikTok account, where I work as a TikTok creator. I heard recently that someone had gone to study at the University of Leeds (where I completed the first part of my degree) because they’d watched my videos and wanted to see the place for themselves. It would be amazing if someone wanted to come to Imperial because of seeing my stuff on TikTok.