How Campus Perth Is Helping Athletes Like Sebastian Bernhard Train and Live

"I honestly thought it was too good to be true."

This post is presented in partnership with Campus Perth.

When you see professional athletes playing on TV, the last thing you probably think is: “I wonder where they lived when they first moved out?”

The crazy thing is though, every single one of them has done it. LeBron James, Naomi Osaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tayla Harris all moved out of home at some point in their lives.

Moving out is one of life’s biggest moments. It’s exciting, kinda scary, and defs gonna be a drain on your money. For young people wanting to become a pro athlete, they also need to consider if where they move will help them in their athletic development.

Someone who has gone through this exact experience is professional goalkeeper Sebastian Bernhard. He lives at Campus Perth and has experienced first-hand how it has helped him become a better athlete, student and person.

Image: Supplied

As Sebastian tells Student Edge over the phone, before moving into Campus Perth, he was living in a place by himself.

“I really wasn’t a big fan of the isolation and mentally it just wasn’t good. I felt really lost,” Sebastian says.

“My partner at the time found Campus Perth. I honestly thought it was too good to be true, you know? Two deals for a fraction of what we were paying. I just said ‘alright, I’m up for it. I need a change.’”

For a social butterfly like Sebastian, this decision turned out to be the right choice as moving into Campus Perth allowed him to meet new people and try fresh experiences.

“I’m a social person! On my first day I’m already talking to people and meeting one-on-one with other students,” laughs Sebastian.

From day one, he immersed himself into the social culture of Campus Perth—something he says was important to do considering the nature of his post-graduate studies in education.

“I’m doing online learning at Monash University, so it’s isolated already. But being here feels like being on a university campus.”

Image: Supplied

Despite studying remotely, Sebastian has seen a boost in his grades since he moved into Campus Perth.

“It’s definitely helped. Right now, I’m in the study area and this is where I come to get into my zone or get ready for exams, tests and prac. It shifts the mentality being in these spots.”

It’s not just the place, however, but the people that have helped him while doing his master’s. Sebastian has a 20-person group on Facebook where anyone can ask for help in their studies and get it.

When not studying, Sebastian’s focus is firmly on staying in peak physical condition. The goalkeeper has played all over the world and before COVID hit, he was in a training camp in his home country Switzerland. Given the uncertainty, Sebastian either had the choice to stay there or come back to Australia.

“I made the decision to return and focus on finishing off my studies, but once I’ve got my degree, we’ll make our way over to Hungary.”

Campus Perth has played an important part in Sebastian staying in shape before resuming his professional career, with the athlete telling us about the fitness studio they have onsite.

“The gym here is spot on. My strength and conditioning coach at the Australian Institute of Sport gave me programs and I can run them here myself. It helps me knowing I can do it in my own time and I don’t have to go use a club. Everything is situated here.”

Image: Supplied

To cap that off, Campus Perth have an events calendar that’s chockers with things like Salsa lessons, ping pong competitions, movie nights and cooking classes. A personal favourite for Sebastian is the yoga classes.

“I’m a big fan of yoga. Our instructor, Nat, runs that; she’s been running it for a while. We learn the benefits of yoga, mindfulness and meditation. It helps me refresh, reset and refocus.”

With so much on offer, we ask Sebastian what he believes the best thing about living at Campus Perth is. He confidently says it’s “the people.”

“Sure, the facilities are amazing, but a house is not a home without the right people. In order for someone to grow you have to immerse yourself in culture and experiences.

“If you just listen with an open ear, mind and heart you can make some long lasting friendships here. I couldn’t have picked a better place of accommodation.”

If you’re looking to move out of home like Sebastian, why not check out the rooms Campus Perth have available? You can meet other students, workout in the fitness studio and join all these events starting at just $125 per week.

If you want to find out more about Campus Perth, just click here.

Header Image: Supplied