Norwich Olympic cyclist Emma Pooley with parents Jane and Martin at the UEA on Friday. Photo by Simon Finlay
Video: Norwich London Olympics medal hope Emma Pooley picks up UEA degree
Michael Bailey , London Olympics correspondent
Friday, July 20, 2012
4:32 PM
Norwich’s Olympic medal hopeful Emma Pooley felt it was fitting to pick up an honorary degree from where she set out on the path to cycling glory.
The 29-year-old former Norwich High School for Girls pupil and Beijing silver medallist was a regular cyclist and runner around the University of East Anglia as a youngster – and on Friday morning she collected her honorary doctorate in civil law.
This month sees Pooley prepare for the road cycling events at the London Games – and after the Olympics she will finally finish her own geotechnical engineering degree at home in Zurich.
“This feels fantastic,” she said. “It’s always nice to come back to Norwich, but getting an honorary degree is really exciting.
“My PHD has been slightly protracted and hopefully I’ll get that in Zurich and do it all again, but this is a huge honour. I think when I told my supervisor she was worried I wouldn’t bother writing my thesis.
“I know it’s very different but this is pretty special and not something I ever thought I would get.”
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3 comments
Emma Pooley is a first rate cyclist and will probably pick up a gold or silver in the Olympics. I almost feel sorry for her going through the embarrassment of this. What is it with universities awarding honorary degrees to people off the telly or because they excel at a sport and have some distant link with the town where the university is based? Cathy Dennis (mediocre 1980s singer and song writer) also received the same doctorate from the UEA, but that wasn't reported was it? Same with Zoë Wanamaker who is much more known, despite having no connection with Norwich or the UEA. Other "alumni" include Eddie Izzard and Patrick Stewart (both also with no connection with Norwich). It is all rather silly, more akin to a second rate educational establishment trying to jump on the celebrity obsessed bandwagon to raise its profile.
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s.fred70
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
What a load of nonsense if it wasn't for the the university deriving benefits by association with the person, you would never hear about these stupid things.
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Joe Mullets Uncle
Friday, July 20, 2012
Saw the clip on the tele Ijust cannot make out why the Flip Flops ? especially at a graduation ceremony !
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yarco
Friday, July 20, 2012