Kensa Fradd-Walker - Vice President Sports
- Open communication and transparency
- Off-peak gym membership
- Free trial gym sessions
- Sport Switcheroo event
- Performance Sport development
Why vote for Kensa?
Having been a member of Women's Rugby for three years and their treasurer for two, I have first-hand experience of the impact taking part in sports can mean for your university journey.
One of my key focusses for the year will be improving communications on all things sport. I am a big believer in complete transparency in everything I do and hope that by being able to provide explanations for where your money goes, e.g. from the Sports Pass, you will be able to better understand the direct results and impact of these costs. I also believe in transparency in clubs' own finances. Being open with your members about where their sub fees go and how you spend the club's finances do wonders for communication and trust in your team. Another example is the Moves+ app; it's a fantastic opportunity to passively gain rewards for your exercise, but I don't think it is promoted widely enough. Fifteen 10k step days earn you a hot drink from any of the campus cafés - well worth the effort if you ask me!
Another key element to my campaign is promoting the importance of keeping yourself fit and healthy by going to the gym, be that for cardio, weight-training, or mobility work. We have fantastic facilities across the city, one of which being the recently built Jubilee Gym. So fantastic, in fact, that at peak times, the gym can be absolutely heaving. One of my objectives would be to seek to introduce an off-peak gym membership. This would accomplish two goals: 1) spreading the load on gym facilities to hopefully improve the experience for everyone, and 2) lower the barrier to fitness by having a lower-cost membership, making exercise and healthier lifestyles accessible to more.
In an extension to the Give It A Go campaign for sport trials, I propose introducing two free trial gym sessions for each student, each semester. These would be pre-loaded onto everyone's ID card, to reduce the barrier and increase engagement, as well as hopefully starting new habits for many more people.
A fun year-long event I would like to introduce is 'Sport Switcheroo' (title pending...)! This would involve a variety of sports clubs signing up and being paired, taking turns attending each other's training sessions. The goal of this is to strengthen bonds across the university's many sport societies and build a long-term community, helping with engagement in charity events and increasing cross-sport support at events such as Varsity.
I also look forward to being involved in the Performance Sport team selection, with hopes of ensuring that the teams are both varied and equitable. I would also like to look into the possibility of renting out the Performance Gym to any of our clubs, to ensure that this space is always being used to the best of its capabilities.
Questions & Answers
Ask Kensa Fradd-Walker a Question
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Big promotions like the current Garmin event are also a good way to increase engagement!
This question was also asked to Kensa
Answered by Kensa on 02/03/26 14:38This question was also asked to Charlie Bell, Ran 'Nap' Wei, Chun-Min Chou, Travis Arthur
Answered by Kensa on 02/03/26 14:40My first priority would be investigating the peak times of the gyms across the University. I would then meet with Southampton Sport to discuss our pricing strategy for our Off-Peak Gym Membership so that it can be ready to purchase for the new academic year.
My next priority would be to meet with the VP Inclusion to discuss additional, accessible fitness classes to add to the gym's offering. These could include seated yoga and seated Pilates, meaning those with limited mobility or energy, impairments or returning from injury, have another option to be active.
This question was also asked to Charlie Bell, Ran 'Nap' Wei, Chun-Min Chou, Travis Arthur
Answered by Kensa on 05/03/26 22:221) I can confirm that I do believe that all transgender people are valid, and that their pronouns and preferred names should be respected at all times.
2) I believe that transgender students should use the bathrooms they feel most comfortable in, no matter whether they're early in their transition or have long been living as their affirmed gender.
3) I do believe that gender-neutral facilities are an overall positive! Often, these are single-person rooms which can also be beneficial for anybody that might wish for more privacy.
4) Often, rules and guidelines, for issues such as this, are set by the sport's official body. In the case of contact sports especially, I believe safety of all participants involved should be of the utmost concern. I also do not believe it is possible to set a blanket statement for how transgender people should approach a gendered sport that they wish to take part in, given that there are so many variables that may affect the safety of them and their fellow participants. If there were to be a transgender student who was unsure whether they should train/compete with a female or male team (and the sport's governing body was unclear), I would suggest they get in contact with me/SUSU so that the query can be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
I apologise for the long answer, but I believe this topic requires a thorough approach to serve it fully :)
This question was also asked to Charlie Bell, Ran 'Nap' Wei, Chun-Min Chou
Answered by Kensa on 09/03/26 13:38I would love to work the VP Inclusion as well as the Neurodiversity & Disability Society and Student Accessibility Network to discuss adding accessible fitness classes to the gym's offering. These could include seated yoga and seated Pilates sessions for those with reduced mobility and also low sensory sessions for people that may struggle with an overwhelming environment. I believe that everybody deserves the opportunity to be active, no matter their abilities :)
This question was also asked to Charlie Bell, Ran 'Nap' Wei, Chun-Min Chou
Answered by Kensa on 09/03/26 14:20This question was also asked to Kensa
Answered by Kensa on 09/03/26 14:48One of SUSU's main functions (if not their most important role!) is as a lobbying body. This is repeatedly shown with examples such as your own, the Sports Pass. Previous Sabbs' work lobbying Southampton Sport led to the price of the Sports Pass being frozen for 3 years, specifically Marina Stasi's work in 23/24 following an All Student Vote by SUSU. This goes to show that Southampton Sport are responsive to change and, through productive conversations and meetings, I strongly believe that progress can be made on my pledges and that they are very realistically achievable.
Southampton Sport is a separate entity to SUSU in the same way that the University itself is. This is to say, they are not exempt from being lobbied and the VP Sport is involved in many of their functions. I look forward to working with the team at Southampton Sport to discuss enacting my pledges and bringing accessible fitness to the many students of our university.
This question was also asked to Kensa
Answered by Kensa on 09/03/26 14:47Harassment of any form has no place in our clubs, societies and the university as a whole. I believe in a zero-tolerance approach and any reports should be dealt with the utmost severity.
** I have received permission to share this story **
A close friend of mine was sexually assaulted on a joint social earlier this year. The communication between SUSU, my friend, and the police was poor at all stages, with my friend often being left in the dark regarding the progress of her case. Furthermore, she received no follow-up on her welfare. Nothing at 3 months, nothing at 6 months. It has also strained her relationship with her society; she is reluctant to go on socials and thus faces pressure and guilt from her peers.
Because of all this and the many other similar tales from across the university, I believe a strong, combined approach from all of the elected Sabb officers is required. Many welfare officers say that the required training does not go far enough to equip them with necessary skills. This leads to them feeling overwhelmed and overworked. There also needs to be more awareness in societies as to how an assault or harassment can affect the victim, so that they do not feel further pressure and shame.
This question was also asked to Charlie Bell, Ran 'Nap' Wei, Chun-Min Chou
Answered by Kensa on 11/03/26 20:10