In January 2024, Alex Robinson, a University of Sheffield BA Geography and Planning student, will be one of the GB Women’s water polo squad competing in the European Water Polo Championship in Eindhoven. She currently captains the Rotherham Metro women’s team, and is a key part of the University of Sheffield women’s team too, even playing outfield for the University team. I interviewed Alex to find out what it is like to be one of the top athletes at our University and what her preparation is like for the biggest tournament of her sporting career so far.
Q: When did you start playing water polo? And what got you into it?
A: 12 years ago at Rotherham Metro Water Polo club. Saw it advertised while I was swimming and me and my cousin both decided it looked fun and now we face each other every year at varsity.
Q: What have been the greatest achievements for you so far playing for GB?
A: I have not competed in the European championships since I was in the junior squad, but now to have qualified for Europe in the women’s team, and to take the qualifiers by storm was a huge accomplishment for me. In the qualifiers we beat some powerhouse teams, Portugal were the hosting nation and Germany were the firm favourites. Having been beaten by Germany in the build-up to the tournament, to be able to beat them when it really counted was special. Germany is in the top 20 of the world rankings and GB isn’t even on that list at the moment, so we definitely were the underdogs and it made it so much sweeter!
Q: You have also been part of the University of Sheffield Women’s Water Polo team for over two years now and were the captain last year, how has that been?
A: It’s been so great to be part of such a brilliant club, we have achieved so much while I’ve been here. Last year after an unbeaten run, we won Division 1 (to be promoted to the premier league) and the BUCS national trophy. We won team of the year at the University of Sheffield Sports Awards and individually I won Outstanding Achievement in sport. We were even invited to the Yorkshire Universities Sports awards to collect our award for Yorkshire Team of the Year. It made me so proud of all the incredible people that made it all possible.
Q: How do you think the increase in the quality of water polo at this University has helped get more eyes on the sport itself, especially the women’s game?
A: I think a lot of people come into Uni not knowing about the sport at all, even with this, people still give it a go and fetch all their friends along to watch. It’s a great atmosphere and such a great game to be a part of. People often leave Uni wanting to play more and join clubs so that they can continue playing, which is so good to see as someone that wants the sport to grow as much as possible. Often girls drop out of sport in their teenage years, and it’s so nice that University is a place where girls can freely get back into sport and see what they’ve been missing. All the way through the year we are accepting new players and I urge anyone unsure to just come down and give it a go.
Q: How does University of Sheffield Sport and Physical Activity help you prepare for these kinds of tournaments, like the European Championships?
A: They offer free physiotherapy sessions, gym access, nutrition and lifestyle advice, and sports massage on the Elite Sports Performance Scheme, which has been a lifesaver! I wouldn’t be able to perform at the level I am without this, due to the lack of funding from British Swimming, which leads to me having to fund myself for all the training camps and tournaments. Through the scheme, I get a bursary which goes towards training camps and preparation for the upcoming tournament.
Q: What did it feel like when the GB team qualified for the European championships for the first time in 14 years?
A: Fab! It was a surreal experience and I was immensely proud of everyone involved in the leadup to the qualification. It felt like everything we had done in the last 4 years had finally paid off.
Q: Are you nervous for the tournament?
A: A little bit. It is a lot of pressure knowing you could let people down, considering how massive the opportunity is. But, we need to remember that getting here was the main thing and has allowed many young women in the sport opportunities. The senior women’s squad was only re-introduced 4 years ago and a lot of young girls that played for GB in juniors had nowhere to progress, but hopefully us being successful in this tournament will push the players to work harder as they can see what they can achieve. How motivated we all are to push ourselves even further probably outweighs our nerves I would say.
Q: Looking at all your achievements on paper, it looks like you have reached a lot of your goals, have there been any challenges along the way? And how have you overcome them?
A: I grew up in an area of Rotherham where there isn’t a lot of money, this helped me learn the value of things from a young age, and how important it is to have people that support you and I am lucky enough to have a good support system. In the run-up to the tournament, our team asked for donations to take us to Eindhoven and to help pay for some of the costs. I cannot thank the people in my local community enough, especially the people in my local pub back home ‘The Little Haven’, who have kindly donated towards the team. Which just shows the epitome of community spirit, and how it’s helping me reach all of my goals.
Athletes like Alex are supported so much by the University in their sporting endeavours, and she is a prime example of just how important sport can be. If you would like to support Alex and the GB team ahead of January’s tournament, their donation page can be accessed here.