Park and ride
Words: Greer McNally Photography: Hannah Maule-ffinch
Carys Bill (Second year PhD student in Earth Science and Engineering and Kentfield Legacy Sports Scholar) is the ultimate triple threat.
When you spend your days modelling the Moon’s impact craters, it’s nice to have the option to step outside and relax. That’s why I love spending time in Richmond Park, the ultimate perk of being in the capital. It’s one of the few real open green spaces in London and, as a triathlete, it’s perfect for my training.
I took up triathlon when I was an undergrad. I’d done some swimming when I was much younger and quite of lot of cross country. Then I got my first road bike on my 14th birthday and started going out with my dad on what felt like really long rides. It was only a 22km route, but it seemed huge back then.
You can’t beat Richmond Park in the evening, when it’s just you, the deer and a heart-stopping sunset
It’s only in the past two or three years that I’ve really started to take things seriously, and these days my rides are three or four hours long. Being part of Imperial’s sports programme has really worked to improve my performance. They’ve helped me avoid injuries and just made me stronger, which is amazing. And now I’m proud to represent the Team GB triathlon age-group team, winning my first championship race this summer.
I’m lucky because I actually live closer to Richmond Park than I do to campus, which is great for my training. During the week it’s a 20-minute ride into Imperial, and at weekends my triathlon club organises rides, and we’ll head out of the city to places like Surrey. Although this year I ventured even further – while camping out in the Arizona desert to do fieldwork and follow in the footsteps of astronauts training at Meteor Crater, I managed to get in a few runs along the rim of the Grand Canyon. But the trip wasn’t without mishap. En route my hold luggage went missing; thankfully it turned up in time for our Grand Canyon trip.
But back at home you just can’t beat Richmond Park in the evening, when it’s just you, the deer and a heart-stopping sunset as you look across the fields. You have to be careful of the deer, obviously, but it’s really how I relax. In the summer there are lots of other people out on their bikes in the park. You see the same faces. I’ll often go around on my own, but bump into people I know. There’s a real sense of community.
Because at the end of the day, it’s all about finding a balance. Even in the three triathlon disciplines, I have good days and bad days – but when I’m training, it’s just me and my environment.