Rosara Joseph studied law at St John's between 2006-2011. She represented New Zealand in cross country mountain bike racing at Beijing 2008, and is hoping to qualify to take part in London 2012.
The selection process for London 2012 is based upon performance at international events, particularly World Cup series races and the World Championships during 2011 and 2012. I need to show that I am the strongest New Zealand candidate for my event.
I have had a lot of challenges during the last couple of years! I've been combining full-time study with a full racing and training regime for the past five years. Although I love both study and cycling, it has been challenging to pursue both at the highest level at the same time. However, I finished my DPhil in May, which has made it far easier to devote more time and energy to cycling.
My training regime varies depending upon what stage of the season I am in. But it normally involves many hours on my road or mountain bike. I also do gym work, running and yoga.
I learnt from Beijing 2008 that, although detailed planning and careful preparation are key to a successful Olympics campaign, you must also be flexible and relaxed enough to deal with unexpected changes. For example, I broke my ankle in late April 2008, which severely disrupted my planned build-up.
At the Olympics, too, things changed: I crashed while practising the course, and was restricted to training on a wind-trainer for the days before my race; and then the race was postponed due to heavy rain. I dealt with these set-backs and changes by treating them as a challenge to be overcome, rather than an obstacle or impediment to success.
I think my athletic career would have been benefitted by me not going to university! On the other hand, though, I think I would have become stale and bored had I been a full-time cyclist for the past five years. So maybe my time at Oxford has prolonged my athletic career and made me more appreciative of the opportunities it offers me.
Having lived in Oxford for nearly five years, the UK is my second home, so it will be very special to see the Olympics hosted in London. It is the closest to a 'home Games' that I will ever have the opportunity to compete at. I can't wait!
Studying at Oxford and competing at a high-level in sport is hard work, but it is also such an incredible opportunity. I would encourage all students to get involved at sport, whatever level it might be. Sport is a fantastic way to meet other people, it's good for physical and mental health, and it's fun!
