The Weekly Kiki #5: Alumni Interviews!
Dear Readers,
I hope you have had a great week! I thought I would spice things up this week by interviewing our alumni from the Saints Water Polo Team. Please have a read and enjoy what our alumni have to say about all things water polo and what they’re up to now!
How/why did you join the Saints Water Polo Team?
- Amelia Fletcher: I joined Water Polo as I’d been doing synchronised swimming prior to university and wanted to do something of a similar nature. We’d done a little bit of Water Polo in swimming lessons at school and I greatly enjoyed it.
- James Stuart-Turner: I joined Saints Water Polo, because I had been a swimmer for a long time and was very bored of just swimming up and down. Also, I knew that I needed something at university to give me a break from my studies and keep me relatively sane. My first training session was the give-it-a-go session and afterwards Ian asked me to come along to club training.
- Ruby Brown: I joined water polo because I had played in high school. Meg Hedrick, who was playing at the time, was my neighbor in halls. She introduced me to the team and brought me to training.
What is your favorite memory from the Saints Water Polo Team?
- Amelia Fletcher: My favourite memory is when we got stranded in Bristol after a BUCS match during Beast from the East. It was slightly stressful at first but being there with the team made it a lot of fun, and we had a great time out in the Snow. And winning BUCS of course, that was unforgettable.
- James Stuart-Turner: My favourite water polo team memory is preseason training in Hungary at the start of my second year.We lost every game we played and were completely outclassed by fifteen year old Hungarians, but in that week I learnt more about water polo and my teammates than at any other time during my studies at St Andrews. It was an awesome experience and something that I will never forget.
- Ruby Brown: My favorite memory was playing in Loughborough in first year. It was my first time going to England so it felt very exciting. We barely had enough players and it was an exhausting match but it was a good team bonding trip and I felt like I got closer with a lot of the girls on that trip.
What was your favorite swim set/practice set if you can remember?
- Amelia Fletcher: I was a much bigger fan of doing drills than swimming, but if I had to pick a swim set I’d go for sprints or relays. Every swim set is a lot more fun when you’re doing it as a team or when there’s a bit or competition to it.
- James Stuart-Turner: Honestly, my favourite swim set was probably twin peaks. I know how much everyone else hated it, but I always felt good afterwards knowing that I had worked hard. Also, I liked being able to see how my times improved throughout the season.
- Ruby Brown: I liked doing the kick sets because it was a nice break from the usual swimming.
Are you still playing water polo after Uni or do you plan to in the future?
- Amelia Fletcher: Yes, I hope to find a team I can join once the covid restrictions have been lifted and pools are open again.
- James Stuart-Turner: Currently I’m not playing water polo, mainly due to all of the COVID restrictions. However, I will hopefully start playing again once this is all over, if I can find a team that I am good enough to play for.
- Ruby Brown: No. Sometimes I miss it though.
Where are you now and what are you up to?
- Amelia Fletcher: I’ve just started my first proper job working in London. But most importantly I’m trying to make the most of doing any outdoor sports which are currently allowed, such as paddle boarding and running, to keep my fitness up.
- James Stuart-Turner: I am in California at the moment, studying for a PhD in Economics at UCSB. I am really enjoying a break from the Scottish weather and making the most of being able to swim in the sea.
- Ruby Brown: I am living in Stockholm and getting my master’s in Technical Art History at Stockholm University. I am enjoying exploring the city, meeting new people, and learning Swedish.
What do you miss most about the team? Trust me, we miss you!
- Amelia Fletcher: I miss the people most. Saints Water Polo is such a fun and caring group of people, swimmers and coaches alike. I also miss matches and the regular training sessions and just having a laugh whenever we were together.
- James Stuart-Turner: What I miss most about Saints Water Polo is the social side of the club. I can still train and swim now that I have finally left St Andrews and I will eventually start playing water polo again. But I don’t think I will ever find a group of people who are as friendly, welcoming and caring as the water polo club.
- Ruby Brown: I miss all the great friends I made playing water polo. It was always fun to see everyone after a long day and just have fun. It’s such a wonderful little community and I am glad I got to be a part of it during my time in St Andrews.
I want to thank Amelia Fletcher ‘20, James Stuart-Turner ‘20, and Ruby Brown ‘20 for taking the time to answer all of these questions and provide their input. We wish them all the besti in all of their future endeavors and hopefully, in the future, they can come back to visit us at St Andrews!
Stay tuned for next week folks it’s going to be very juicy (as always).
