Fiona Bunn is a third year Natural Sciences student at Queens’ who has recently been awarded University of Cambridge Sportsperson of the Year. She has Blues in three sports – orienteering, cross-country and athletics – and last year won silver and gold medals representing Great Britain in orienteering at the Junior World Championships.
Running is in Fiona’s genes; her parents, Nigel & Alison Bunn (both 1983), who met at Queens’, were both runners at College. Initially, this family connection put Fiona off the idea of coming here, but Fiona has certainly been forging her own path since arriving, working her way up to becoming captain of both the University Women’s Cross-country team and the Orienteering Club.
As well as organising the training sessions and running team selections, Fiona places an emphasis on the social side of the club, inspired by the friendly welcome she received from these clubs when she first arrived in Cambridge. Fiona has organised events in Freshers’ week to attract new members, pasta nights in Queens’ and women’s team socials. “I try to keep in touch with everyone in the club and keep an eye out for everyone’s welfare. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves and progressing as athletes is very rewarding.”
Fiona has also been sharing some cross-country love closer to home, in Queens’. As a joint venture with second year student Emily Bradley, she has set up Queens’ Athletics and Cross-Country Club (QuACC). “Firstly, we are doing a Virtual Varsity competition, asking people to submit times for middle-distance races and pitching them against Oxford. For the month of May, we are doing a fundraising challenge aiming to run 1448 miles as a group – because Queens’ was founded in 1448 – and asking people to pledge a penny per mile run by the group. So, if we reach our target, people will donate £14.48 – but you can donate more of course! I think there’s a lot of people who are starting running in the lockdown, especially people who used to do other sports but can’t anymore; we are encouraging people to use their daily exercise to raise some money for good causes.”
Setting up a Queens’ club to continue beyond her time here is one way Fiona hopes to give back to Queens’ for the support she has been provided with. Funds from The Richard Hargreaves Sports Bursary have made a huge difference to Fiona’s training opportunities; “this money basically enabled me to compete at the Junior World Championships for Orienteering. Training on specific terrain is very important for orienteering,” Fiona explains, “and I managed to go out to Denmark (where the championships were held) three times in the year leading up to the championships, which I think had a big effect on my performance.”
Her performance at those championships, which won her a gold medal in the relay and a silver in individual, were a huge achievement for both Fiona and Team GB. “That was definitely the major achievement of my year. That was the first gold medal we have ever won as a team and my silver medal in individual was also the best female performance we’ve ever had.”
Fiona is also very grateful to the wonderful training she has received from Phil O’Dell, Hare & Hounds coach, and from the University of Cambridge Athlete Performance Programme. This programme has supported her with specialist training, one-on-one sessions in strength and conditioning and appointments with a nutritionist, physiotherapist and psychologist, helping her to get everything together on competition day.
Fiona’s plans for the next year are still to be confirmed. One thing that seems certain is that she will keep running. “I’m now in the senior age group, which is an exciting, new challenge. The next event that might be held, depending of course on the situation, is the Senior World Championships in Orienteering, which will also be held in Denmark this October. I’m in the GB senior squad, which shows I am being seriously considered for selection.”
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