Written by: Nancy Britten

Hello, hello, Haries! I’m back with your seventh (yes, seventh!) HOTW interview. This week, I caught up with Will at Kilimanjaro Coffee to chat all things biathlon, half-marathon goals, his love for Arsenal, and his superb run at Nationals. We met bright and early at 9 a.m., another morning interview for the books (though Abigail’s 8 a.m. coffee remains unbeaten in the earliness department so I shall open this up as a challenge for future HOTWs!) Will’s song of the week for this week’s interview was Superstition by Stevie Wonder as both he and his dad are fans of the song. Enjoy the interview! 

Name: Will d’Arcy
Degree: 1st Year Sports Science

What made you choose to study Sports Science?
I didn’t really know what else to do, but I’ve always loved sport, so it just felt like a good fit.

Interview location? (and why?) Kilimanjaro Coffee. My friend who’s in second year brought me here during the first week.

Coffee order? Big coffee drinker… probably too much! Always a latte or a flat white- they’re basically the same. (no Will. No they are not.) 

Where are you from?
Just below Oxford.

Why did you choose to come to Edinburgh?
I visited the city a while ago and loved it. My mum went here too (she studied Medicine), so she was pretty keen on me coming as well.

How did you get into running?
When I moved schools, I wasn’t doing much sport but started running and realised I was good at it, so I stuck with it. Apart from a two-year break, it’s been about 13 years now.

How did you get into biathlon?
I saw an ad on Facebook saying any endurance athlete should try out. My dad sent it to me, I thought he was joking, but I went through all the testing and got into the junior national team. It’s a lot of fun and you get to travel loads. I was 16 at the time. I’d only ever done downhill skiing before that, not cross-country, and I’d never shot either!

Can you describe your race at Nationals in three words?
Fast, hilly, unexpected. 

I hear you’re an Arsenal fan, any comments? 

Yeah, massive Arsenal fan. This year’s going pretty well. I’m enjoying the lack of losses and goals conceded! Also very happy that one of our club captains is an Arsenal fan too.

Do you have any goals for this year?

Running: I’m doing the Leeds Half next April and I want to go sub-1:10. It’ll be my second half as I did Leeds last year, and the crowd was amazing, so I want to go back.
Non-running: Junior World Champs for biathlon. (casual and understated goal-setting here)

I’m intrigued, how does one go about training for a biathlon when living in Edinburgh?
I do a lot of roller skiing, basically long roller skates, and go to Fife on Mondays to roller ski (it’s a four-hour round trip…this is dedication!). Then gym work like the ski erg. I spend a lot of time on that frustratingly, but the running fitness correlates well. I spent the summer in Font Romeu training at altitude.

If you didn’t run or do biathlon, what sport would you do?
Football, definitely. I love team sports and miss them a lot. That’s what’s so nice about Haries, it almost feels like you’re doing your sport as a team.

If you didn’t study your degree, what would you study?
Probably Geography. I’m actually trying to switch to Geography now. Neither really lead to a direct career, but I like both!

Do you have any pre-race rituals or superstitions?
Nothing major. I’ve just done the exact same warm-up since I was 12. Apart from that, maybe just complaining a bit before the race. (this a personal favourite pre-race ritual of mine too)

If you could instantly master one skill, what would it be?
Darts. I’d love to just be able to bang out a 180 every time, seems like a useful skill to have.

If you could have three dream dinner party guests, who would they be and why?

• Eliud Kipchoge: very wise man, great human being.
• Thierry Henry: Arsenal legend.
• Stevie Wonder: I love his music, and my dad does too. 

(I think all bases have been covered with this selection, I approve)

A non-running-related fun fact?
I can name every country flag just by looking at it! (wow)

Favourite…

Meal to cook?
Not a huge cook, but when I’m away training, I have to. I love making carbonara. (I then put will on the spot by asking him the recipe, and stunningly he was able to deliver this off the top of his head. So for all those wondering, the ingredients are: spaghetti, eggs, a bit of pepper, pasta water, parmesan, lardons, and garlic. Method: “just add them in whatever order”)

Place in Edinburgh (besides a running route)?
Cramond Beach is my favourite non-running spot. I also love the braids (though that is my favourite running spot too)

Day of the week to run?
Sunday. I’m not hungover, it’s a chill day.
As a follow-up… can you describe your Ideal Sunday? Wake up around 10:30, have breakfast, go for a run about an hour later, come back, chat with friends, go for a walk, and then watch football. I’m a big NFL fan, so from 7pm onwards, I’m watching NFL with my friends, sometimes at Potterrow.

Place travelled?
Peru or Guatemala. I went backpacking for four months after finishing school. The sights were amazing, and both countries are beautiful.

Spot on campus?
Levels Café by Moray House, it’s really nice and good for getting work done.

Hill in Edinburgh?
Arthur’s Seat. It’s just nice to look at, to be honest. (valid)

Most used emoji?
(*pulls out phone) This one:  (yes, I’m branching out with my questions this week)

Dream sponsor?
Running would be Nike. Maybe Salomon or Scott because it crosses over with skiing too.

Would You Rather…

Run uphill for 10k once a week or sprint the last kilometre of every run?
Sprint the last kilometre. 10k uphill sounds horrible.

Run without music or without a watch?
I never used to listen to music, but I’ve really gotten into it. I’d say without music, but I think music is definitely underrated.

Teleport anywhere at any time or time-travel just once?
Teleport anywhere! If I could right now, I’d go to Japan …or to an Arsenal game if one was on.