Category: Sports

An underwater rugby player in London

Master of Public Health (MPH)

I have an unusual routine every Thursday night. I pull on a pair of swimming trunks, a dive mask and snorkel, and a pair of fins before diving into the deep pool at Putney Leisure Centre. I am an underwater rugby player.

Underwater rugby is played in a 3D-environment where attacks can come from anywhere: above, below and all around you.

Underwater rugby (UWR) started life in Germany in the 1960s as a way for divers to stay fit during the winter. It quickly took on a life of its own and today, it is played in much of Europe, as well as the US, Australia, Colombia and Singapore.

Sports at Imperial: Cheer 101

Aeronautical Engineering

“Joining cheer was the best decision I’ve ever made”

“I was not proud of the bow, nor the uniform. I was proud of what it meant”

“When I initially message the president asking to join cheer late in the term, I hadn’t really left my bed in three months. I was then in hospital for about a month in December. After that, cheer was the only time I left my house for in a while. I just want to thank all of you so so soooo much for being so lovely and welcoming from the start, and just overall amazing people.

The Road to Varsity

Mathematics, Optimisation and Statistics

And what netball has meant to me this year

Although netball was not a new sport to me, playing a sport at university has certainly been a new experience. Imperial College Netball Club (ICUNC) has become one of my favourite aspects of Imperial, and even though, for a while, I almost regretted not taking up a new sport, the last few months have definitely reminded me why I chose netball. For months on end, the repetitive cycle of training on a Thursday and matches on a Monday seemed cruel in the subzero temperatures, however, looking back now, I can see how much we’ve improved, bonded as a team and had a really great time along the way.

Save the St Mary’s pool!

Master of Public Health (MPH)

The St Mary’s pool has been a fixture of the campus for 80 years and now, for very vague reasons, it’s shutting down. The last day for the pool (and the staff who run it), is on 16 July 2018.

If you’re a regular at St Mary’s you’ll know how much this pool means to the people who work and study here. There are few other ways to clear your head after long hospital rounds or a session of disease modelling. What’s more, the facilities at South Ken are too far for us to access easily.

That’s why we’ve set up a petition to try and save our little pool.

Surviving the first term

Mathematics, Optimisation and Statistics

 – 8 things that have gotten me through my first term

After ten weeks of lectures, problem sheets, weekly tests and repeat, with the odd excitement of computing coursework, I am wondering how I made it through this term without getting too exhausted of the cycle! As much as I love the struggle of finding “the largest number of chicken nuggets it is impossible to buy, when they come in boxes of 6,9 and 20” (real question!!), sometimes you do find yourself drowning in work and you need a break, to relax and clear your mind in order to improve your focus for when you do sit down to work again.

Rowing, Study, Sleep or Social Life. Pick Rowing.

Amanda Koh profile

BEng Computing

In first year, when I walked past the rowing stall at the freshers fair I dismissed it with a simple “i’m not getting up that early, ever”. I’d always admired rowers for that, they seemed to train constantly, at godforsaken hours, yet still be on top of everything. I proceeded to waste most of my first year doing absolutely nothing. I didn’t get properly involved in any societies, didn’t make any great friends and in general spent far too much time messing around in halls and doing coursework than was strictly necessary.

This year, when I walked past the rowing stall I thought, if I can muster the discipline to handle this in my schedule, I’ll work more effectively and have teammates that I’d see regularly ( = friends!).

Paddle Your Way to Victory

Abigael Bamgboye profile

MEng Materials Science and Engineering

Some days… throw yourself into the deep end

There are some weeks when life overwhelms you and you can only just keep your head above the water. Even after you’ve recovered, it somehow takes monumentally higher courage to get back into the water.

Today, I jumped in. And it was fun.

After living in halls for four months with the world’s most zealous kayaking enthusiast, I finally bit the bullet and came along to a session. After back to back lectures, a lunch time committee meeting, labs and a Horizons French lesson, the thought of trying kayaking vs work was a no brainer.

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