Campus access and parking disruption 2 September

Mike Walker
August 31, 2018
The Edge

Due to the HSBC Lets Ride event there will be no access to campus between 8am and 4pm from University Road, the main entrance or Willow Terrace.

There will be no parking along the route – University Road, Cavendish Road, Hillary Place, Vernon Road and Willow Terrace – during the same period and no access to the multi-storey or Edge car parks.

Staff are also reminded not to leave their vehicles in these areas overnight as they may be unable to move them on Sunday morning until the end of the event.

Campus access will be available via Mount Preston Street but parking will be severely limited.

For full  information please click here.

Free Cycle Circuit Family Experience

Mike Walker
August 20, 2018
Children cycling at Bodington Cycle Circuit

University of Leeds staff who are planning to participate in the HSBC UK Let’s Ride Leeds cycle event on Sunday 1 September are invited to enjoy a free family experience at the University of Leeds’ Bodington Cycle Circuit, between 1 August – 1 September  to build-up both fitness and confidence in preparation for the event.

Bodington Cycle Circuit is 1 mile closed loop cycle circuit, in North Leeds providing a safe traffic free environment for the whole family to enjoy.

Your free family visit will take place on one of our usual ‘Pay and Pedal’ sessions at the circuit.

To enjoy this staff benefit simply …..

1.

Book onto HSBC UK Let’s Ride Leeds

Sign Up

 

2.

Complete our family experience booking form

 

3.

Then simply wait for one of the team to get back in contact with you to book in a date for you and your pedal partners to enjoy the Cycle Circuit for free at one of our usual ‘Pay and Pedal‘ cycle sessions. If you need to borrow bikes or helmets, don’t worry the team will have you covered.

 

Highlights of the year 2017-2018

Heather Hall
August 16, 2018
Varsity Womens Rugby

It’s been a roller-coaster year here at Leeds Sport. From our ongoing struggle to take the Varsity crown off Leeds Beckett to some huge successes at the Big BUCS Wednesday it’s fair to say we’ve had an exciting year.

The year kicked off to a wild start with another incredibly close Varsity result with Beckett only finishing 3 points ahead of us. However, it wasn’t all bad news as we claimed some momentous victories. Our women’s rugby team took the win over Beckett for the first time EVER! A humongous 177 students, staff and alumni helped us clinch the Varsity Parkrun point and Swimming and Water-polo remained undefeated in the pool for the 8th year running.

Coming so close to victory made us wish that snow sports offered Varsity points! Back in November We watched Gillian Finnerty and Jenny Davies storm to victory taking two golds each at the BUCS Dry-Slope Championships! There was no stopping them as Gillian managed to nab two silvers in the competition as well.

Our Ladies have really been on top form this year as Women’s Football 1’s breezed to the top of the Northern 1A Division completely undefeated. The Girls went from strength to strength as they made their way to Big BUCS Wednesday where they faced off against Portsmouth in the final for the BUCS Trophy. The girls sealed a successful season with a 5-0 victory taking home the trophy for the second year running. Our football team weren’t the only ones competing as the Women’s Rugby 1s also took to the stage. After a tough match the girls finished in a glorious second place against newfound rivals from Swansea University.

Although the girls have been storming to success the boys have been keeping pace. Two of our sports scholars headed to Australia over Easter to compete in the Commonwealth games. Tyler Smith found himself as the flag bearer for Bermuda before competing in the triathlon and Team England’s Kim Daybell brought home a silver medal in the Table Tennis.

Success didn’t stop there for the men though as our Rugby League and American Football teams received the Leeds Sport Award for student sport in March. All of their exceptional work on the ‘it’s ok not to be ok’ campaign has proved to the community how great our all our Gryphons are and the positive impact of sport on mental health. 

Success also struck for our infamous Korfball team. After playing the best teams from the North and Scotland in BUCS Regionals Leeds were on top form. Their first place finish took them to the BUCS National Championship where they finished 9th in the country! Having their most successful year yet it looks as though the only way is up for our team.

With such a great year for sport here at Leeds it makes sense to round it off with a few Varsity wins for the 2018 season. Back in January the men’s cross-country took the first point of the year. Our social sports teams also pulled of an exciting win giving us the intramural point and our Men’s Cricket team put on a fabulous display taking home our third point of the year. With 57 games still to come it’s all to play for. Hopefully our one point lead will put us at an advantage coming into October!  

   

Swimming Pool Closure weekend 25/26 August

Mike Walker
August 13, 2018
The Edge

Dear members,

On Friday 24th August at 11pm the nearby Generating Station Complex will be shut down for 24 hours to replace vital infrastructure. We are one of the users of this complex so unfortunately there will be a short impact to our service provision.

The impact will be:

  • No hot showers on Saturday 25th August across all The Edge changing rooms
  • Pool closed due to not being able to heat the water  on Saturday 25th August
  • Potential for colder than normal showers on Sunday 26th August
  • Pool to re-open on Sunday 26th at 15.00
  • There will be no ladies only gym session on Sunday 26th August so everyone can access the gym facilities while the pool is closed

For our Bank Holiday opening hours please click here.

We apologies for any inconvenience caused.

What does it mean to be a Leeds Gryphon?

Heather Hall
August 12, 2018

If you asked me at the start of my time at uni what it means to be a Gryphon I would have probably just said that you are on a sports team. However I have learnt that it so much more during my time at Leeds. Offering students a whole range of opportunities Leeds is home to one of the most inclusive and diverse sports programmes.

With 70 different sports all clamouring for attention at the freshers fair you instantly know that by becoming a Gryphon you are entering into something big. You aren’t just part of one individual team. Everyone is welcomed into a huge family where every sports club supports one another. The atmosphere at our team events like Varsity and Christy Cup is always crazy with everyone cheering along.

During my 1st year I instantly joined the Swimming and Water Polo society, sticking to what I know. Everyone was welcoming and full of handy little tips and advice to survive first year. I knew then that being a Gryphon was more than just about competing. Joining a sports society offers you such strong friendships. Everyone is constantly celebrating each other’s successes, commiserating losses together and helping each other out.

Coming into my second year I wanted to branch out and decided to join the University of Leeds Boat Club. I was picking up a completely new sport which is a challenge by anyone’s standards. The great thing about Leeds is that anyone can try any sport. From surfing to cheerleading, you just have to give it a go! Leeds is a fantastic place to try out something new and it has so much to offer.

There are so many different aspects to sport here at Leeds. There is a place for everyone no matter what your interest. During my time at the Boat Club I was inspired to perform to the best of my abilities but I’ve also been provided with other opportunities. I have been able to gain leadership skills through becoming a squad captain and I have also found the time to help coach new students starting the sport for the first time just like I did. It’s great to see how each club helps empower all of its members to make the most of every opportunity.

There is one final thing I’ve noticed when it comes to being a Leeds Gryphon. Everyone has such a tremendous amount of pride. From endless chants about Leeds to wild celebrations! You can find individuals across the globe still wearing their Gryphons kit and representing Leeds. Whether you want to volunteer, compete or play socially there is a place for everyone. It’s clear that being a Gryphon isn’t just for university, it’s for life.

Athlete of the Month: August

Tim Jarrett
August 5, 2018
Leeds Sport Strength & Conditioning

Here at the University of Leeds we are lucky to train some of the most fabulous athletes from around the country. However, students don’t just come from the corners of England to use our first class facilities. We are lucky to have some wonderful athletes from across the globe training with us, just like Tyler Smith. From representing our own Triathlon society at BUCS competitions to flag-bearing for Bermuda at the Commonwealth Games we caught up with Tyler to find out what he gets up to in his training sessions.

What’s your sport?

I am a triathlete and compete for the university team and individually.

Where do you train and what competitions do you compete in?

I spend most of my time training around Leeds. Swimming and doing S&C at The Edge, riding in the Yorkshire Dales, and running around various trails in the city. I compete mainly in BUCS events, and European cups, but I have also raced at the Commonwealth Games and World Juniors.

 What does your training schedule look like?

On a regular training week when I’m not competing I usually train just under 30 hours. Usually we do five swim sessions, five bike rides, and eight runs. It seems like a lot but most of the training is done at a steady pace so we don’t get too fatigued.

What Strength and Conditioning (S&C) training do you do?

During the winter  I was aiming to improve my strength and power so I was trying to get in the S&C room three times a week. During the racing season I’ve reduced my S&C to twice a week with more of a focus on mobility to stay a bit fresher for the hard training sessions and races. Most of my S&C is targeted at leg and lower leg strength, but there are also core and upper body exercises in my programme.

What is your favourite exercise?

A back squat is my favourite exercise. It’s an exercise where you can see a clear progression week to week. I also feel helps me improve strength, stability, and my range of motion, all of which are helpful in triathlon.

What is your least favourite exercise?

My least favourite exercise is a box jump. I’m not very explosive and struggle with getting good vertical height which makes it difficult to jump successfully. I’ve also messed up my shin on a box pretty badly before and it still gets me nervous now.

How do you feel S&C has helped you develop as an athlete?

I feel S&C has really helped me to build the base strength and robustness to keep me fairly injury free while I’ve been building up my training volume. When I take breaks from S&C training I definitely feel all sorts of niggles coming on. The increase in muscle soreness after hard bike and run sessions is hard to ignore as well.

Tim Jarrett has been working with Tyler throughout his time at Leeds and gave us a little more insight into how the athlete works:

‘Tyler is a very autonomous athlete and has a strong sense of what he needs to work on in the gym. This makes working with him really easy. I end up giving him ideas and guidance rather than dictating his every move.’

Here is Tyler on one of his training runs with teammate Sam before he headed back home to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Games, placing 6th in the Elite Men’s category.