Champion Scottish cyclist Anna Flynn has spoken of her pride after graduating from Edinburgh Napier University.
The Team Spectra racer, who is from Edinburgh, combined her competitive career with her studies, completing a final project at the ENU-hosted Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland in the Scottish Borders as part of the Sport & Exercise Science course.
Following recent wins at the British National Mountain Bike Marathon Championship and the Scottish Student Cycling Championships, she has added another to celebrate by collecting her degree at the Usher Hall.
The 23-year-old took on her programme as a dual career student, which allows elite athletes to balance their studies at ENU with competition, and now says she is racing better than ever.
Anna said: “I've had a really good experience here. I loved the course and I'm proud of how everything went.
"I wanted to do something that I could balance with competing. I knew Edinburgh Napier had a reputation for accommodating athletes looking to study, but I was still surprised by how supportive the staff were.
"The first couple of years at had ups and downs when it came to racing. I had quite a few injuries, but I got a lot of support from staff to help me through it.
"Now I'd say my racing is the best it's ever been.
"I'm one of these people who loves training. When I'm in that pattern of racing and training though, it’s good to have something else to focus on. This gave me something to do when I needed to sit down and recover.
"If you enjoy your sport, it's definitely possible to study alongside competition. As long as you're motivated, that's the main thing."
Anna’s final year project looked at how varying tyre pressures can affect mountain bikers. Working with lecturer and former bike racer Dr Lesley Ingram-Sills, she used ENU’s facilities and knowledge at the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland to carry out practical research.
Anna now has plans to carry out further testing there during the summer in the hope of publishing her findings.
“My project at Glentress was hard work, but I'm really proud of how it turned out,” Anna added.
"I got in touch with Lesley last summer when I was looking for something to do my dissertation on. I knew about the facilities the University has, so it seemed like a great opportunity.”
Now that Anna has marked her graduation, she is considering further studies in physiotherapy, while continuing to race across different disciplines.
Her packed upcoming schedule includes the UCI 2025 Gravel World Championships in the Netherlands this October.
Dr Lesley Ingram-Sills, Lecturer at ENU’s School of Applied Sciences said: “We have been really thrilled to see Anna make the most of her time with us – all while going from strength to strength on the bike.
“From elite racers pursuing an academic qualification to pioneering researchers in the sector, Edinburgh Napier has a strong track record of supporting people with a passion for cycling.
“Anna is a prime example of an athlete who has used her competitive insight to take full advantage of the University’s expertise, and we are looking forward to see what she does next.”
Edinburgh Napier University’s summer graduation ceremonies are being held at the Usher Hall from 9-11 July.