A Lancaster University Ecology student has qualified to compete in the Vancouver Triathlon World Championships. Sonia Povey, who is completing a PhD at Lancaster University's Environment Centre, has been preparing for the event since January, undergoing a gruelling 15 hours of cycling, swimming and running each week. Originally from South Africa, but now living in Lancaster, the 28-year-old juggles her busy training schedule with the demands of University life. In order to compete in the Triathlon, Sonia had to finish in the top four at one of the four qualifying events last year. At her qualifying event - the Northampton Triathlon in September - she finished in the top four of her age group (25-29). She is hoping to beat her personal best times at the Vancouver Triathlon in June this year.
Homeless helped by student sports-coaching scheme
Homeless groups in the North East will benefit from a student sports coaching scheme. The coaching is part of a £1 million pound project to help tackle social problems and prepare the region for the 2012 Olympics. Student volunteers from the North East's five universities will run regular sports sessions for the homeless through the scheme designed to raise aspirations as well as integrate universities with local communities.
Durham University will lead on the scheme, with over 160 students from Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside universities providing physical activity sessions for over 15 homeless groups.
Row to glory
A Lancaster graduate is pursuing her dream of becoming an Olympic rower after being handpicked for a national training programme aimed at developing elite athletes for the London games. Frances Nicholls was chosen from around 5,000 applicants to take part in the Sporting Giants programme run by UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport. Former Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave launched the first appeal of its kind to find potential athletes for the next Olympics in 2012. Applicants had to be at least 6'3" or 190cm for men and 5'11" or 180cm for women, aged between 16 and 25 and with some sort of athletic background. Frances, 23, has left her teaching job to move to Henley-on-Thames where she is now in training. Success at two phases of Sporting Giants testing has seen her fast-tracked onto GB Rowing's World Class Start programme.
Sports Therapy students from the University of Bedfordshire got the chance to put theory into practice by providing much needed relief to the aching muscles of London Marathon runners in April. The team of 80 students put their massage skills to the test as they eased the limbs of more than 800 competitors running for charities. Throughout the year, University of Bedfordshire students provide massages at sporting events around Europe, including the London to Paris Bike Ride, Great North Run and Bedfordshire International Games.
The Ripcurl Boardmasters, Europe's largest surf, skate and music festival is to be held this year at Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall, on the 4th to 10th August. The 5 Star Rip Curl Pro Men's World Qualifying Series event is one of the highlights. The contest will feature some of the world's best surfers, battling their way through gruelling heats in the hope of reaching the final and claiming the £50,000 prize. There will also be live music sessions on the beach each evening, including performances from Groove Armada. The Vans Summer Session, on the 10th to 11th August, is now established as the biggest skate comp in the UK. Skaters are invited from around the world to challenge for the coveted Summer Session Crown. 2007 saw a clean sweep by Australian Renton Millar who won the main event as well as both best trick awards.
Tickets will be on sale soon, so join the mailing list at www.ripcurlboardmasters.com to ensure you don't miss out.
Sports engineering competition
The International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA) is running their annual competition to find the most interesting project on a technical aspect of any sport. This competition is open to students at any institution of higher education in the world, who have undertaken an individual project on a sports engineering topic. Submission is in two stages, the first of which must be in by July 1st, and submissions should be sent to A.N.Bramley@bath.ac.uk. All candidates will be advised of the outcome by the 1st August 2008. Short listed candidates will be invited to enter the second stage, for which the deadline is 1st September 2008. The first prize will be a certificate together with a cheque for £100 and full membership to the ISEA for one year. Last years winner was Nils Betzler from Germany, for his project entitled 'Biomechanical Characteristics of Golf Swings.'
Lancaster student heads for Canada triathlon