Last September, when the excited and slightly nervous Fresher version of myself arrived in Oxford, my head was full of uncountable things I had been thinking about... One of them was of course what I would get up to outside of studying, because – as we all know – even an Oxford student can’t be working 24/7 and remain completely sane (and if you do, please tell me your secret!). I had always been sporty but I really wanted to try something completely new for this chapter of my life so that I could challenge myself not only intellectually but also physically whilst being a student here. So when Freshers’ week rolled around, I kept my eyes open for… anything, really. I signed up for a lot more societies than I possibly would have been able to fit into my schedule, but the one sports club that really caught my attention from the get-go, and has managed to keep it to this day, was the Oxford Sirens.
The Oxford Sirens are the University’s competitive cheerleading squad. I had never done cheerleading before and, quite frankly, I had no proper idea as to what to expect. So I went to all of their taster sessions and discovered my love for a sport I had never considered trying out before. After a few weeks of getting eased into training, there were proper try-outs where the coaches sorted us into two teams of different levels, one all-girls and one co-ed. And then the madness began! And the fun, and the excitement, and all the joy before and during competition!
We have also regularly had various social events for the purpose of bonding and just enjoying ourselves, and I can honestly say I have found some real friends through the Sirens!
This Trinity term, the Oxford Sirens are holding some more taster sessions for people keen on joining us for Cuppers 2018! Check out our Facebook and Instagram accounts and do come along if you are a current student at Oxford! And if you aren’t yet, but will soon be, look out for the Oxford Sirens at Freshers’ – cheerleading really is for everyone, and it’s a great way to get physically active, make new friends and enjoy university life to the fullest!
https://www.facebook.com/OxfordSirens/