Alumni – University of Bristol Sport

The University is delighted to announce Briony Williams as their Ambassador for this year’s Great Bristol 10k in May.

Briony, who lives in Bristol and studied for her post-graduate qualification in teaching at the University, became a household name when she starred in the 2018 series of the Great British Bake-Off, making it all the way to the semi-finals.

Briony went on to win the 2019 edition of The Great Christmas Bake-Off, and it’s also been announced that she has joined the presenting team of Channel 4’s ‘Food Unwrapped’. As well as her TV appearances, Briony writes regularly for food magazines and features at food-festivals around the country!

So, where does running fit in? We wondered the same!

When she’s not creating masterpieces in her kitchen, Briony admits be being a keen runner. To date, she has taken on several 10k races and a couple of half-marathons, with more lined up for this year.

This year, the University Bristol 10k campaign is focusing on the benefits that running, and being more physically active in general, can bring to our mental health – something Briony is a huge advocate for.

Announcing her ambassadorship on Instagram, Briony wrote, “I’m really excited to be championing two things I care about so deeply: running and mental health”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B79Cb2whXid/

We are thrilled that Briony will be running alongside our students, staff and alumni in the gigantic University Wave, and working with us in the lead-up to the event to encourage everyone on campus – runners and non-runners alike – to get active to support more positive physical and mental health and wellbeing at the same time as raising awareness and funds for the University’s B:Active Healthy Minds initiative.

Almost 500 students, staff and alumni has already signed up to this iconic Bristol event! Get up, get together, and get active by lacing up your trainers and joining #TeamUoBristol for this year’s Great Bristol 10k on Sunday 3 May.  

Sign up for the University Wave

If you are University of Bristol staff, Student or Alumni, you can sign up to run the Great Bristol 10k with discounted entry.

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Bristol 10k FAQ

University Run Groups

(L-R) Flo, Hannah & Georgie will attempt the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge in December 2020

This week (18-24 November 2019) is #ThisGirlCan week on Bristol Uni campus. We have a timetable of exclusive female-only classes and club taster sessions, all completely FREE, to encourage more women across campus to get together and get active!

Alongside this timetable of activities, we are featuring on social media a showcase of ordinary women, achieving extraordinary things in world of Sport, Exercise and Health! #WomenInSport

Atlantic Antics

Atlantic Antics 2020 is a self-titled trio of keen rowers – Hannah, Flo and Georgie – who, next year, will take on the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 rowing race from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, to English Harbour, Antigua.

Why the Atlantic?

Flo: “Because why sit at a desk all day when you could be sat in the middle of the ocean?”
Georgie: “Because rivers are too flat.”
Hannah: “Why not?”

The responses of three women determined in their mission to cross the Atlantic together – a journey of 3,000 miles, against 30 other crews from around the world. Not only that, in doing so they are attempting to become be the fastest female trio to complete the trip, aiming for a crossing of only 50 days. If successful, the trio will beat the current record by 10 full days!

The Team

Particularly exciting, is that two-thirds of the trio are Bristol University Alumni, having met one another as members of the University of Bristol Rowing Club!

Flo attended a Fresher’s taster session for rowing and was immediately hooked by the competitive nature of the sport. She rowed for Bristol throughout her degree, and for local club. Hannah also rowed with UBBC throughout her time at Bristol Uni and becoming Women’s Captain. Hannah saw a number of UBBC members complete the Atlantic Challenge and was inspired to follow in their footsteps one way or another!

Georgie found rowing whilst studying at Lincoln University, and was put in touch with Hannah and by someone in the rowing biz who knew she was also looking for a crew to take on the Challenge. Very quickly, Atlantic Antics was born!

Why the challenge?

In Hannah’s words; why not? The trio are taking on this epic challenge because with the adequate training and preparation, they can! Not only that, they could make history by being the fastest female trio to do so.

Beyond that, Hannah, Flo and Georgie are on a mission to inspire other women to give sport a go. Through this challenge they are supporting Women In Sport, a charity “with the goal of giving every woman and girl in the UK the opportunity to experience the transformational rewards of sport.”

The trio admit that sport didn’t come naturally to all of them, but that “what stuck with all of us from those younger years was the friendship and community found in sport”. These courageous women hope that by sharing their ‘antics’ online whilst they prepare for this epic challenge, they will inspire other women to get involved in sport, at any level, and “find something that they are as passionate about as we are”.

6 am training sessions and gruelling training camps put us through our paces and pushed us beyond our limits. Sport has given us the confidence to always try, regardless of how silly we may look, our lack of natural ability, or the chance of failure.
Atlantic Antics 2020

Atlantic Antics is also supporting Rowing Together for Healthy Minds; a charity changing the attitudes surrounding mental health in rowing.

Follow the antics:

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