Sport Stories Tied Up With Strings… These Are A Few of My Favourite Things 

With 16 articles written, countless hours of research and too many words to count… it has been a busy year for sport both on and off campus. Daniel and I have been working hard to provide the most relevant and interesting sport news possible; so, what better way to end the year than to put a big, red bow on top for a Concrete Sport Wrapped. 

Starting over the summer break, the Paris 2024 Olympics provided lots of interesting stories, one in particular was “Notes on a Doping Scandal”, detailing the eight-year long doping scandal that has been plaguing the Chinese Olympic Swimming team. With the scandal truly coming into the spotlight over the course of this year’s Olympics, it was an interesting piece to research.  

In other tumultuous sport news, tennis-legend Andy Murray announced his retirement. As Britain’s most successful tennis player in what is known as the ‘Open Era’, Daniel’s farewell tribute to Murray, is a heartfelt piece from a true fan.  

As we started off the new academic year, my interview with Amy Middlemas was an interesting piece that offered an insight into the world of powerlifting. Within 18 months, Middlemas has gone from a powerlifting rookie, to joining the big leagues at the FISU. Championships. If my interview with Amy taught myself and readers anything, it’s that its never too late to try something new!  

Shedding light on a sport that is not spoken about often, Daniel’s piece on the Vikings vs Jets American Football match, showed what a true NFL experience looks like. From embracing the environment of an American-based sport to enjoying a pint from the comfort of your own seat, Daniel’s experience proves that an NFL match may just be better than a regular Football match.  

Moving into October, as the freshers were beginning to get settled, it felt right to provide a guide to sports night. As one student described it: “pure chaos in the best way possible”, the guides gives an insight into the most popular night out on campus. From avoiding the dreaded group separation after one too many drinks to embracing the wild themes of your club, I hope this years freshers and the many more to come find the guide useful.  

One of the most popular articles this year, comes from Zoe Molloy. Her “Ode to the Gym” is a piece that will resonate with many. As Molloy delves deep into her struggles in life, relationships and with mental health, she shows her appreciation for the gym and praises the impact that it has had on her. What many will be able to take away from Molloy’s article, is the importance of building a relationship with sport. 

Finally from our last issue, this had to be one of my favourites over the past 18 months of being Sports Editor. Firstly, my interview with the Women’s Rugby team was such a great moment to highlight their outstanding work when it comes to fundraising. They created a sensational Instagram post for the ‘Let It Hang’ campaign that has been creating such an impact on the amount of money they have raised for Breast Cancer this year. To write about a team that looks out for each other the way those ladies do, is really such a lovely sight to see.  

To continue with the fundraising theme, Daniel wrote a great article about ‘Movember’ and how Norwich City FC and UEA Sport have been raising not only money, but the topic of Mental Health Awareness. As a subject that is often seen as taboo, Daniel executes it perfectly, as do Norwich FC and UEA Sport. In the hopes of raising awareness, this article does just that and one can hope that with everything Norwich FC are doing, the FA will follow suit in promoting Mental Health Awareness more. 

Lastly, my interview with Activities and Opportunities Officer Olivia Hunt was a really important one. I think as journalists, its important that we share the truth without bias and contrary to what some students may think, this article does just that. Within the interview Hunt shows on numerous occasions that she thinks from a “student perspective” and I hope that to those that have read or have the intention of reading it can get a glimpse for what the SU is really about and the tremendous impact Olivia Hunt is having right now. 

In my opinion, it has been a great year for sport. Although we’re wrapping up the year now, we’ve still got a few more issues to go in the new year and I can safely say that myself and Daniel are really looking forward to what is coming! Thank you to all our readers and have a very Merry Christmas! 

Image Credit: UEASport