March 2017 - Sport & Physical Activity

Brand New Member Benefit!

Lucy Wood

March 23, 2017

The Edge is excited to announce a brand new member benefit for all of our members; special offers for LEEDS TOTAL WARRIOR!

Join 20,000 Warriors for the pinnacle of obstacle racing, providing the greatest courses set in the finest venues. Leeds Total warrior takes place on Sat 24th and Sun 25th June 2017 and we are pleased to be able to offer The Edge members some special offers including discounted entry (Sunday only), a free place offer (Saturday only) and discounted/free entry for volunteers.

Discounted Entry at £50 – Sun 25th June only

Members of The Edge can receive a special discounted entry for the Leeds Sunday Total Warrior event paying just £50 (plus booking fee). All you need to do is enter the promo code TheEdge at checkout.*

Free Place(s) Offer – Sat 24th June only

For those wishing to enter on Saturday 24th June, why not recruit your mates and make the most of The Edge special Free Place offer for teams.*

Team of 10 = 1 free place

20+ team = 2 free places

30+ team = 3 free places

and so on…

Free places can be claimed by emailing thechief@totalwarrior.co.uk.**

Total Warrior Volunteer Offer

Volunteer for 1 day at Total Warrior and receive a 50% Discount (off the current individual price) to a future event
Volunteer for 2 days and receive a Free Entry to a future event.

To take advantage of this offer, please email thechief@totalwarrior.co.uk for further details. To find out more about TW volunteering, or to apply, please go to the ‘Volunteers’ page on the TW website.

To Find out more about Total Warrior or to sign up, please click here!

*Special offer is valid until the final entry closes for the event and is only available for the Leeds Sunday event. To use TheEdge promotion code, Warriors need to select Leeds Sunday, click the ‘Enter promotion code’ then click ‘Apply’. An Edge50 Ticket will then appear.

**To claim your free place(s) please email thechief@totalwarrior.co.uk. You must have other team members signed up to be able to claim your free place(s).

50th Anniversary of Student Rugby League

Lucy Wood

March 22, 2017

50 years ago, students here at the University of Leeds founded the first student rugby league team and convinced university authorities to recognise rugby league as an official sport. Half a century later there are more than 70 student rugby league clubs across the country.

To celebrate this momentous anniversary, Leeds Sport hosted a week of events including an ‘old boys’ alumni fixture and a dinner in terrace with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in Old Bar to mark the occasion.

Leeds Rhino’s superstar Stevie Ward visited Leeds University Union and gave an inspiring talk about the mental and physical challenges involved with playing professional sport as well as speaking out about his ‘Mantality‘ magazine which is aimed at young sports players.

To culminate a week of celebrations a brand new event took place on Friday; the Rugby League Yorkshire Varsity. The current university team took on a ‘Best of Yorkshire’ students side made up of students from the universities of Bradford, Hull, Huddersfield, Leeds Trinity, Sheffield Hallam, Sheffield and York.

The evening proved to be a huge success with over 450 students from Leeds and the other participating universities attending the game as well as a number of Leeds Rhino’s supporters who came down early to watch the fixture. The fixture was played as a curtain raiser to the Leeds Rhino’s v Wakefield Trinity game and The University of Leeds came back from being 18 -4 down in the first half to achieve an impressive 36-24 victory. Freestyle dance opened the event with a fantastic routine, and we also saw George the Gryphon take to the pitch side.

To see pictures from the event, head to our Leeds Sport Facebook page where you’ll find a Yorkshire Varsity album.

New Kettlebell Courses

Tom Exeter

March 15, 2017

New courses coming soon, teaching the basics of safe and effective Kettlebell use!

About Kettlebell training

Kettlebell training is a fantastic and functional form of whole-body training. They help to build strength, endurance and power, particularly in the lower back, legs and shoulders. They are also an extremely effective tool for fat loss and toning.

Unlike exercises traditional training with dumbbells or barbells, kettlebells involve large dynamic movements working many muscle groups at once. Kettlebell exercise is challenging, fun and unique, combining aerobic, strength and high-intensity interval (HIIT) elements to your exercise to provide a more varied and enjoyable exercise experience.

About the course

Each course is £65 for six sessions and will take place in our state-of-the-art Personal Training studio. We only have space for 10 members per session, so be sure to book your space quickly!

Book now to avoid disappointment!

To book a place on a course or if you have any other queries, please contact The Edge Reception on 0113 343 5095. Please note all bookings must be placed either at The Edge or over the phone as we require payment upon booking.

Timetable
Date	Time	Instructor
Monday 5th Feb	10:30 – 11:30am	Mike
Tuesday 6th Feb	13:30 – 14:30pm	Amy
Wednesday 7th Feb	10:30 – 11:30am	Mike
Thursday 8th Feb	12:00 – 13:00pm	Patrick
Friday 9th Feb	10:30 – 11:30am	Mike

University Official Sponsor of Leeds Sports Awards

Tilly Hall

March 7, 2017

University of Leeds Sponsor Leeds Sports awards

We are proud to be sponsoring the Club/Team Performance Award at this years Leeds Sport Awards.

2016 has been a great year for Leeds’ sporting legends and University of Leeds Alumni, from the Olympics in Rio, all the way back home to the inaugural Columbia Threadneedle World Triathlon here in Leeds. The year is certainly something to be celebrated, recognising all of our talented sports heroes, from the medal winners to their coaches, all the future achievers Leeds has to offer and everything in between.

To celebrate the year of success, the Leeds Sports Awards brought to you by Sport Leeds, will commemorate all things sport, and all things Leeds in one fantastic evening at the iconic first direct arena.

As part of this spectacular event the University is proud to sponsor the Club/Team Performance Award which has three finalists:

We also have a number of University of Leeds students and alumni who are finalists at the awards.

Paralympic Table Tennis star, Kim Daybell – (Special Contribution – Student Sport)
University of Leeds Hiking and Orienteering Club committee member and volunteer, James Nicholson – (Special Contribution – Student Sport)
University of Leeds Women’s Hockey Club – (Special Contribution – Student Sport)
Alistair Brownlee – (Senior Achievers – Sportsman of the Year)
Jonny Brownlee – (Senior Achievers – Sportsman of the Year)

Good Luck to all our finalists!

Follow all the action at the awards on the 7th March from our Leeds Sport Twitter account.

Students Selected to Represent England

Tilly Hall

March 3, 2017

Congratulations to all of our talented athletes at the University of Leeds who have been selected as part of the English Universities National Squads for 2017.

The English Universities Programme works to develop talent and selects top athletes from universities across the country to make up a national squad to represent England in the University Home Nations.

Nine athletes from the University of Leeds will now represent the English Universities Team at the Home Nations Tournament on the 10th – 13th April 2017 at Edinburgh University.

Name	Sport
Justin Brown	Men’s Hockey
Carlos Hollyman	Men’s Hockey
Sam Apoola	Men’s Hockey
Katie Hopkisson	Women’s Hockey
Lara Knowles	Women’s Hockey
Charlotte Evans	Women’s Hockey
Francesca Houghton	Women’s Hockey
Bethan Davies	Women’s Football
Rachel Newborough	Women’s Football

Good luck to everyone taking part!

World Book Day Inspirations

Lucy Wood

March 1, 2017

World Book Day is all about celebrating what you’ve been reading and encouraging us all to pick up a book. That’s why our Uni Girls Can team have joined up with the Get Out, Get Active ladies to share some of their favourite books!

Recent research discovered young girls are increasingly viewing themselves as less confident and capable compared to young boys. Leading experts have suggested that one great way to get young girls to feel empowered is through inspiring literature that encourages them to be proactive and confident. This is why we think reading is so important, so go out and pick up a book today, perhaps one of our favourites!

Another great source of book recommendations comes from Emma Watson who is truly leading the way as an international, inspirational woman through her work with the UN. She’s created a fantastic book community group, Our Shared Shelf, where she picks monthly books for women to read with a real range of genres.

Pick up that book today and feel inspired!

Our Favourite Books

Olivia (Uni Girls Can Activator)

One of Olivia’s favourite books is How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran.

“It’s funny, witty and so very relatable. Moran does not beat around the bush as she delves into all the aspects, expectations and stereotypes of being a woman. Most of all she encourages women to be proactive, confident and happy. One of my favourite moments is when she tells you to stand on a chair and declare yourself a feminist. What’s not fantastically crazy about that? She also showcased her own insecurities when she was younger, and that vulnerability made me really connect”.

Sarah (Uni Girls Can Activator)

One of Sarah’s favourite books series is the Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix.

“There are just so many layers to them and the detail is so high, it’s a totally different world. I would absolutely die if they made movies out of them but they probably couldn’t do them justice. They are very fantasy – magically, but I love that, coming to think of it, I think in each of the three main books the main character is a heroine, which might be why I liked them so much.”

Jennie (GOGA – Walking Activator)

One of Jennie’s favourite books is Eat, Sweat and Play by Anna Kessel.

“It changes the whole view of women in sport, and it looks at sports at a different perspective from what society is trying to make it. Sport is sport, an empowering action, not a fashionable insta hashtag”.

Antonia (GOGA – Walking Activator)

Antonia’s favourite book is The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren.

“I was inspired by the heroism of the younger brother in overcoming his fears and fighting for those he loves.”

Louise (GOGA – Climbing Activator)

Louise’s favourite books are the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.

“The main character is feisty, brave and adventurous girl called Lyra.

What’s not to love about a go-getter female?”

Heather (GOGA – Running Activator)

One of Heather’s favourite books is Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding.

“A strong and sassy female who reminds me it’s OK to not fit societal norms or expectations. She shows that there is always fun to be had in life and that it is never too late to mix things up a bit”.

Learn more about Get Out, Get Active and Uni Girls Can on our webpages.

Brand New Member Benefit!

50th Anniversary of Student Rugby League