Thru Life has appointed ex-footballer and current surgeon Dr Elliot Onochie to its advisory board. The appointment is part of Thru Life’s ongoing efforts to draw on the expertise and experience of accomplished individuals in the community who share Thru Life’s commitment to having a positive impact on young people.
Dr Onochie is a current specialist Trauma and Orthopaedic Registrar at the Royal London Hospital and an Honorary Lecturer at the Centre for Medical Education, Queen Mary University of London.
He was born in Nigeria and moved to England at age 4 and has spent most of his life residing in north London. From an early age, he showed a special talent and interest in football and went on to represent England as a schoolboy international.
During his youth footballing years, he had associations with professional clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Watford and after completing college studies, he signed professional terms with Wimbledon.
However, Dr Onochie chose not to make a football career his primary direction and returned to pursue his educational goals. He went on to gain a medical degree at Imperial College London and is now a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. While at university, he received several well-documented offers to return to full-time professional football but chose to continue his studies while playing football semi-professionally.
After completing his medical degree, he was awarded the European Educational Sports Forum Award for academic achievement by elite sports people, presented at the House of Lords.
Over the years, Dr Onochie has developed a strong interest in mentoring, focusing on exploring the specific needs of young people from less resource-rich backgrounds.
Regarding his appointment to Thru Life’s advisory board, he said:
“While I have increasingly established myself as a surgeon, I have simultaneously seen how Thru Life has grown and increased its influence in the north London community where I grew up.”
“This brings back memories of my youth and how we would share resources to support each other in the quest to achieve our aspirations.
“As my career has progressed, I have gained valuable skills in educational planning and techniques to engage young people. I have common experience of some of the challenges that young people face and I am in a position to offer practical ideas that add to Thru Life’s work.”
“I share the same values as Thru Life, and that same basis of being passionate and genuinely invested in having a positive impact on the lives of young people in north London.”
Co-founder of Thru Life Richard Allicock said:
“I have known Elliot for many years and can attest to his commitment to mentoring young people and giving them valuable advice on how to plan for their futures through education and sports. The Thru Life team is delighted to have him on board as we continue our work to improve the life chances of our youth.”
Read more about Thru Life’s advisory board.
