Sport – The Orbital

15Mar

By Peter VighNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Fall Forward

“Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall Forward” – Denzel Washington This is what the graduates of University of Pennsylvania received as departing wisdom from Denzel Washington. Interesting that he chooses to cast an image of the unknown at a time when the unknown can be seriously unsettling. But this mentality. It creates risk takers. Personalities. People that others might call reckless or bold. To be bold you must take risks and to take risks you must be brave. Brave. That is a word that continues to rise in the world of sport. Whether that’s through standing against discrimination, standing proud within the LGBT+ community or through sheer determination. Bravery is something that radiates from the quietest to the wildest among the bold. It i...

Nostalgia, Sport, and Parental love- the raw emotion of nostalgia

31Dec

By Peter VighNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Nostalgia, Sport, and Parental love- the raw emotion of nostalgia

Nostalgia is such a personal overwhelming experience. A yearning to experience what is no longer obtainable. For many, sports evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. Whether that be for the better or for the worse. However, it remains to be said that sport has its own unique way of conjuring up memories and emotions that just can’t stop you from smiling. Why is that? Usually, it’s a sense of carefree fun or high moments of success and happiness. Perhaps more unusually, it’s the embodying of emotions, which a lot of the time we do not feel anymore or don’t get to enjoy. That’s why that feeling of nostalgia hits so hard. A time when things just felt right in life. Pure. And, if you dig a little deeper into that emotion, you realise that the background feeling of parent...

The leap of faith: the mess that is sport politics

31Dec

By Peter VighNo Comments

Sports & Socs

The leap of faith: the mess that is sport politics

Fear, adrenaline, and the deep sea. Nothing exerts a bigger sensory overload of feeling alive. This raw emotion is as unwritten of an experience as one can feel and unknown every time. Like a fresh wound, familiar but always different. This is the feeling that I imagine surfers experience when confronted with the great Nazare. Nazare has been somewhat of a mecca for surfers since its commercial boom after Garrett McNamara’s world record run on its waves. Its unique large waves are accredited to the largest submarine canyon in Europe present just off the shore of Nazare. This acts like an amplifier for the incoming ocean swells forcing record breaking waves to form near the coast. In other words, surfing heaven! But why should I care about Nazare? I hear you ask. ...

The journey of ‘self-discovery’ in sport

22Jun

By Peter VighNo Comments

Sports & Socs

The journey of ‘self-discovery’ in sport

Who are you? A question often asked but rarely answered. One which is simple in theory, complex in nature and, dare I say it, feared in discovery. It’s cringe, I know, but the journey to discovering the ‘self’ begins with solitude. What’s better solitude than swimming up and down a pool alone? It's lonely; solo sports frequently are. Boxing and swimming are considered the loneliest sports, haunting you with the process of self-reflection. I know because I have been haunted by that ghost. As a swimmer, I know the mental challenge a lonely sport can throw upon you. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, from love to hate and everything in between. A journey which makes you struggle to love the sport you pour your life into. Nobody can skip this journey. Michael Phelps and...

Covid does not discriminate. Rich or poor, you are exposed to the virus.

30Jan

By Elena-Teodora ChiujdeaNo Comments

News, Opinion

Covid does not discriminate. Rich or poor, you are exposed to the virus.

The Covid pandemic started over two years ago. The highly infectious virus ingrained a fear in society that has never been seen before. Places known for their busy streets and tourism turned into ghost towns. Australia is one of the only countries where Covid could not settle its claws amongst citizens, with barely five confirmed cases since March 2020. So, Australia handled the pandemic well, right? Wrong. The praises from all over the world about their good strategies went to their heads. Once the Omicron variant came around, the government freed the Australian population — restrictions be damned. Cases rose quickly during the holidays, but the health care system was over its head. A Covid wave was alien to them. Omicron is supposedly a milder version everyone will get at some point, so...

4Mar

By Madeline BreedNo Comments

Elections

VP Sport & Development

In a joint venture with Insanity Radio, we have interviewed all the candidates for VP Sport & Development and created a podcast with questions that delve deeper into their individual manifesto points. Our ongoing Sabbatical Officer coverage and involvement with the elections has been exceptional this year, with the media outlets chairing Candidate Question Time, and we will continue with this by interviewing all winning candidates on elections night so keep an eye out for our coverage. Here are our brief summaries of each candidate and their manifestos: Joshua Bibby Josh explained that his campaign focuses on cross-club collaboration, better communication between clubs and the SU, better reporting of fixtures by student media outlets and transparency in decisions for Colours Ball...

Royal Holloway Men’s Football Charity Campaign

22Feb

By Hefina EverardNo Comments

Sports & Socs

Royal Holloway Men’s Football Charity Campaign

On the pitch, Royal Holloway Men's Football team excel in supporting one another- however, this year they've extended this support to off the pitch, with their ongoing charity work in support of 'Mind' and 'Movember'. I spoke to Jack Colman, Vice President of the club, below is what he had to say about their fundraising mission: Royal Holloway Men’s Football is a family. It comes with fun, incredible memories, and at times hardships and struggles. Our year-long fundraising and charity campaign focuses on men’s mental health, particularly targeting and supporting the well-known charity ‘Mind’. Our reasoning behind choosing mental health as our charitable campaign is that several of our members in their lifetime have either gone through, or are currently going through, stress or menta...

11Oct

By Jeyda HasipNo Comments

Sports & Socs

A Chat With Cheer

Cheerleading is a sport that is often associated with American High Schools, PomPoms and the 'Mean Girls' type Popularity. In order to break that stereotype and reveal the truth about what it takes to be a cheerleader, I spoke to Becca Stewart, President of Cheerleading at Royal Holloway and gained insight into what the sport really entails. It is no doubt that cheerleading is one of the fiercest sports on campus, but fierce often gets confused with bitchy. What would you say to any freshers wanting to try out that might feel a little intimidated by the sport’s reputation? I want to assure all freshers that being a part of our club is like joining a family. Whilst we are fierce and fiery on the mat, as soon as we come off we are straight back to being so supportive and friendly, alwa...

10Oct

By Jeyda HasipNo Comments

Sports & Socs

A Talk With Men’s Football

Men's Football is one of the largest clubs on campus and one of the biggest sports in the world. With the World Cup just finishing and England doing so well, I spoke to Royal Holloway's President of Men's Football, Remy Henry, to see what he had to say about the sport that is so close to all of our hearts. As someone who has played on the 1st team for two years, what aspired you to want to take it to the next level and run for President? My passion for Football is one of the main reasons why I decided to run for President. This ties into wanting to run for Men's Football to ensure that all of the members can benefit from being a part of the club, as well as ensuring that Men's Football is a club that is welcoming to everyone. You joined the 1st team as a fresher and will finish yo...

7Jul

By Louisa WicksNo Comments

Sports & Socs

An Interview with Pole Dancing

Pole fitness is a hugely up-and-coming activity around the world, and Royal Holloway recently added it to its lengthy list of societies. I spoke to the president of the society, Marta Barton-Navarro, to find out why she joined and why pole fitness is becoming such a popular club. Why did you join the society? I decided to join the society because it was so different and exotic compared to any other society and club. It seemed like a challenge, and once I tried it I got hooked and didn’t want to stop! What does the society do? This academic year not only have we provided Pole Fitness lessons, but we have also added aerial hoop lessons as part of the society. Also new to this year, we have competed in a competition called Inter Uni Pole Dance Competition (IUPDC), where we went to Imperia...