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Sport has always been a defining factor in my life, from daily activities, friends I make, and places I visit, a lot of choices are based on sport. From an early age sport has driven me to have a competitive edge, face challenges, and embrace opportunities that come with it. This is why I am standing for the role of Sports Societies Representative on the Activities Executive, as a committed student, athlete, and coach I understand both the opportunities and challenges faced by sports societies across the University.

Having played ice hockey from the age of 3 and surfing since the age of 4, alongside actively playing golf and other sports, I understand the needs of both competitive and social sports societies. I currently play semi professional ice hockey in Leeds as well as simultaneously playing and coaching the Leeds Gryphons Ice Hockey. With my experiences as a coach and committee member it means I have seen first-hand challenges that societies face, from funding and facilities to communication and visibility. 

Leading and speaking out when something needs change or just a voice to speak on a matter is something I embrace. Being a captain for all levels of hockey, including representing team Great Britain as an assistant captain has taught me what it means to be a leader. I also currently sit on the Academic Personal Tutor Advisory Board, acting as a student representative, gathering feedback from a wide range of students. Finally, I have been awarded multiple SPARK awards, such as the 2025 Business Planning Competition, being shortlisted for the Sir Peter Thompson awards, and this year being awarded an Enterprise Scholarship through the program, recognizing my entrepreneurial initiative, communication skills, and ability to deliver projects alongside my academic commitments.

As YOUR Sports Societies Rep, I will ensure that all sports societies are heard, fairly represented, and properly supported. While also promoting inclusivity, accessibility, and collaboration across University sport, while keeping it a lighthearted and fun for all societies.

Sports Rep

Hi, my name is Erin and I’m running to be your Sports Rep 26/27. I am currently in my second year studying physics and I have been playing rugby union for around 6 years. Sport has had a huge impact during my time at university, for both physical and social activity. I hope that I can work in a team to reach the best outcome for people to join and enjoy sports societies.

Aims in role and how to achieve
☆ To communicate effectively with different sports societies. To have regular meetings with societies, with opportunities to feedback and inquire how to improve their societies.
☆ To promote inclusivity within sports societies. To remove the variables which may make people not want / feel like they can join a certain society.
☆ To aid societies, particularly those who do not receive the Gryphon Fund, in gaining more funding, so that their society can function better. This may involve brainstorming how to increase a society’s number of members so that they can gain more funding through more students purchasing the membership fee.
☆ To increase the awareness of the Plus Programme. This is so that people who are eligible know about the perks of being in the Plus Programme - probably making them more likely to join a sports society (e.g. knowing their membership cost will be less). It will be important at the start of the year to make new students aware of this either at or before the fresher’s fair.

Experience
☆ For the 25/26 season, I have been the Captain of the 2XV Women’s Rugby Union team. This has pushed me in my teamwork skills, in how to effectively talk in a group whilst sharing my opinions on how to improve gameplay. I can use these skills to talk confidently in meetings, making sure that the important factors are discussed. Additionally, this season, I have given feedback to the coaches about how I felt we could improve the club (i.e. how we could change how we train). This is a key skill of mine important for this role. I can easily communicate my opinion with ideas of how to improve issues within societies.
☆ I have been the Physoc Treasurer 25/26. This role has challenged me in how to allocate our finances into the best ideas: deciding what was worth spending our money on. This will be useful for becoming Sports Rep because I have experience in deciding how to best allocate funding: important for discussing how much funding societies without the Gryphon Fund should receive.
☆ I have experience in talking to large groups of people as a senior prefect and youth group leader. This experience will be useful for talking to different societies and leading conversations.

Thank you for reading :)

Hey guysssss! Here is Grace, and I am running for the role of Sports Representative as next year’s Women’s Fencing Captain at the University of Leeds.
I am standing for this role because I want to be a strong and active voice for all athletes in Leeds Gryphons. Sport at Leeds should not only be about results, but also about fairness, opportunity, support, and pride in representing the university. I want to make sure that every athlete, across every level and background, feels heard, respected, and able to get the best possible experience from Leeds Sport.
As Women’s Fencing Captain, I understand the importance of leadership, communication, and building trust within a team. My experience as a student assistant has also given me hands-on experience in organisation, responsibility, and working with different groups of people. I will bring these skills into the role to represent athletes professionally, confidently, and consistently.
If elected, I will actively engage with athletes, listen to their feedback, and bring their views clearly to the sports committee. I will push for fair treatment, equal support, better communication, and meaningful improvements that benefit all athletes in Leeds Gryphons.
I will also encourage more beginners to join the Gryphons, helping to grow participation and bring our community to the next level. By working closely with other representatives, I aim to create a welcoming, inclusive, and positive environment where every athlete feels they belong and has the opportunity to develop.

I am determined to help strengthen Leeds Sport and contribute to a more inclusive, ambitious, and high-achieving Gryphons community. I will be approachable, proactive, and committed to turning student voices into real action.