“I have been really lucky as the hockey season began again in late March/early April so I have been able to use the bursary to support my playing, particularly during the Easter vac. I have been suffering with quite a bad stress fracture in my foot for the past year so the bursary was so useful in helping me fund the cost of physiotherapy and podiatry to enable me to return to playing in time for our Varsity match against Cambridge this term. In preparation for our Varsity match we also were required to be in Oxford earlier than the start of Trinity, and the bursary hugely took off the stress of funding extra accommodation during this time. Finally, and arguably the most valuable thing I gained from the bursary, was the ability to spend my time that I would normally be using to earn money (such as by tutoring) in more rewarding and fulfilling ways. For example, I am the OUHC Outreach and Access secretary and I had the time to organise and run online weekly Zoom hockey-themed exercise classes (involving members of each OUHC team) for the charity KEEN, working with a number of children and adults with disabilities on a weekly basis to ensure that lockdown was not limiting their ability to keep moving and socialise. The knowledge that I had financial support enabling me to do all of this was truly such a relief.

“Overall, the bursary has not only helped fulfil my sporting goals including helping me to recover and train for my first Varsity win, but has also provided me with opportunities to explore other activities which provided overlap between my love for sports and my degree (medicine). I am so grateful for the opportunities and support it has provided me with over the last year!”

“For the final year of my degree, I have been living in private accommodation in Oxford – as such, I have been in Oxford since September. This has been a great asset to my training as at home I have no one to train with, and here all my housemates also run, so I have had training partners all year.

“As a runner, I have been able to train regardless of the restrictions. However, a large part of my training is strength and conditioning training, which I haven’t been able to do in the gym. Me and my housemates chipped in, with the help of the bursary, to buy a set of weights so we could do this S&C training in the garden, which has greatly helped. As for the track, that is also a large part of my training, however I was not able to return until restrictions loosened in April. Since then, I have been training at the track three times a week and my training feels like it is pretty much back to normal!

“One area where I have been greatly helped by the bursary is in the buying of kit for training. I was able to buy various pairs of trainers (mileage shoes, flats, racing shoes, track spikes) as well as more general training kit. I have also bought some OUAC kit which I use when competing for the club. Additionally, the money has helped me fund entries to races and travel to and from them. This term I have been competing regularly, building up to Varsity on 4 July. My results have been quite positive, and I hope to be competing for the blues team.

“One of the challenges I have faced is that I am quite injury prone. My calves often seize up and this leaves me quite prone to shin splints. When I face this issue, or when I notice it developing, the best way to prevent it is through sports massage, and the bursary has helped me fund these too, and I have received a massage every 2-3 weeks.

“Overall, the Robin J C Mallinson Bursary has been a great help and has allowed me to buy training equipment and fund therapy which has put me in a great place to tackle for a blues spot this summer. I am extremely grateful to have been granted it! Thank you.”

“I am studying French and Russian and do pole vault around this. I love my sport and it has brought so many great opportunities, including being able to train with a Russian pole vault group during my year abroad.

“The Robin J C Mallinson Bursary will allow me to train and compete at a high level. In order to receive coaching for pole vault and train at an indoor facility during the winter I have to travel to another city. The bursary will allow me to travel to train and complete and also allow me to buy any poles and equipment that I might need to jump higher heights.

“After having a year of no competitions in 2020, this year has seen a dive straight back into competitions most weekends. I have just started my summer season and hope to break my own Oxford record this year. I also hope to be among the best vaulters in the UK at this year’s National Championships.

I would like to thank the Mallinson family for their support. It will allow me to reach my sporting goals and represent the university and college at a high level.”

“At the start of Trinity term, the gymnastics club had an informal online “Varsity” match against Cambridge in which the Oxford men’s team won after a previous decade of defeats!

“No formal gymnastics competitions have been held this year however, I have decided to train for the pole vault Varsity match. I have never attempted pole vaulting before, but I am optimistic I will be able to tackle the event with the support and coaching from a close friend and fellow recipient of the Robin J C Mallinson Bursary, Esther.

“Although the competition was cancelled for the past two years, I intend to compete at the Adult British Gymnastics Championships in 2022 adding an additional meet to the calendar and the generous funds will go a long way covering the costs of competition entry fees, new kit and ongoing training and travel costs. It has been difficult to get regular physiotherapy due to lockdowns and moving between home and Oxford for Christmas and to return to Oxford for revision ahead of exams. I hope to use funds to get regular sports massage and/or physiotherapy appointments at the national sports centre when I return home after this term.

“I have also been re-elected as President of OUGym, the university gymnastics club, for the year 2021/22 (Trinity 2021 – Hilary 2022).”