Claire Backhouse
MSc, FHEA, APIOL, FRGS, POL
Lecturer
Department of Sport and Health
Biography
Claire has over 25 years of experience in the outdoor, sport, and adventure tourism sectors, bringing extensive industry insight and strategic leadership to her teaching in sport and leisure business management at Solent University. Her professional background spans a variety of senior and entrepreneurial roles, including head of strategic operations for an adventure sport events management company and founder of her own business specialising in geography fieldwork, adventure sport, and nature-based craft workshops. Through these roles, she developed strong expertise in organisational management, event delivery, experiential learning, and sustainable business practice within sport and leisure contexts.
After the birth of her daughter, Claire chose to follow her passion for learning and returned to academia. She completed a master’s degree in tourism, sustainability and heritage at the University of Glasgow, where she explored the complex relationships between tourism, sport, environmental sustainability, and heritage. Her academic and research interests draw on her professional experience in the adventure sport and outdoor learning sectors, focusing on environmental sustainability in sport and leisure, with particular attention to rewilding, climate change, and responsible management practices.
In her teaching, Claire is committed to bridging theory and practice, supporting students to develop critical thinking, professional skills, and an understanding of the contemporary challenges facing the sport and leisure industries. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Association, having completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, and is an active member and Professional in Outdoor Learning (POL) with the Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL).
Beyond academia, Claire remains actively engaged in sport and outdoor activity. She is passionate about mountain and water sports and has explored glaciers and coastlines around the world. She is a sailing instructor at her local sailing club and, as youth development officer, leads the youth sailing programme and organises sailing and social events, reinforcing her commitment to participation, leadership, and sustainable sport development.
Further information
Claire has extensive industry experience across the sport, leisure, tourism and outdoor sectors, which strongly informs her teaching and research in sport and leisure business management. Her career began in customer-facing roles within the leisure industry, working as a holiday rep, activity leader, and leading adventure sport activities such as gill scrambling and mountain walking. These early roles developed a strong understanding of customer experience, service quality, and operational delivery in sport and leisure settings.
She later progressed into operational and strategic roles, including leading the skiing product for a UK-based tour operator, serving as head of strategy for an adventure sports event management company, and working as partnerships and community development officer for a sports centre in the charity sector. Alongside this, she worked as a practitioner in the outdoor learning sector for over 12 years, supporting learners in geography fieldwork and developing expertise in educational programme design, risk management and stakeholder engagement. She went on to establish and run her own company, delivering consultancy in outdoor and adventure management, geography fieldwork, adventure sport and nature-based craft workshops, gaining first-hand experience in entrepreneurship, business development and sustainable practice. She also contributes to sport at a grassroots level as a sailing instructor and youth development officer at a local sailing club.
Taught courses
