Lewis Thompson, the new Vice President for Sport, sat down for an exclusive interview with Seren.
What made you want to run for this position?
I had a positive experience at Bangor University and the Athletic Union, therefore I wanted to continue that for longer and hopefully have a positive impact on current and new students to allow them to have the same experience I did.
What changes might you make while you are elected?
Obviously, I’ve been in the role now for a few months and would like to think I’ve made positive changes already, with the main change being the kit supplier. Regarding the playing kit, they are all sport specific designed with specific material that will benefit the players in each sport. With regards to off field kit, the ordering process saves time and stress for captains / kit secs, allowing a better and more relaxed ordering experience. I’ve also offered to pay for external coaches for 5 clubs and have begun a non-competitive initiative which was my main manifesto so anything extra is a major plus.
What is your sporting background so people can get to know you a little better?
My main background is football, but I took part in many sports growing up and narrowed down to just football as I got older. I do enjoy a varied range of sports and I am hoping to go down the PE teacher path in the future.
What is your degree in?
I was studying Sport, Health and Physical Education and graduated in the summer.
Now it’s been a month or two and you’ve been in the role for a while, how do you find being the AU President?
The first 3 months within the job were a lot less stressful than the last month. As much as it’s stressful, I was always looking forward through the summer to students returning and it does make the role much more enjoyable.
What specific things are you looking to improve in the AU?
I want to improve the opportunities for students, which is quite generic, but whether it’s the opportunity for beginners to take part in sport, supporting teams to perform better, and to ultimately allow everyone to have a fair opportunity within sport at Bangor.
How proud do you feel to represent the AU?
I feel very proud to represent the AU, especially as it’s a voting system and people have put their trust in me.
How would you plan to get more people involved with sports this year? Exercise is good for mental and physical health so getting everyone involved in some way could be useful.
When I came into the role, there was a lack of non-competitive initiatives for women, but I’m glad to say that a non-competitive social Netball session has begun and its credit to the Netball girls for being committed to making this work and getting going. As I am writing this, it is Healthy Living Week and I have organized an event on every day of the week, ranging from home workout videos to fun runs.
