RED-S in Para sport
Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) can impact athletes’ sports performance and increase their risk of illness and injury. While RED-S can impact all athletes, it has been suggested that Para athletes may be at an increased risk. To better understand, detect and treat RED-S in Para athletes, there is a need to include more…
Canadian Para Nordic skiers on multi-sport and athlete transfer
Robbi Weldon, Christina Picton and Cindy Ouellet have a collective 10 Paralympic appearances between them. All 3 women are multi-sport athletes from childhood and all 3 have represented Canada in Para nordic skiing. On the surface, their experiences with the Canadian Para sport system may seem similar. But what their stories show is that there…
Challenges and opportunities of dual sport participation
Not many athletes can claim both summer and winter Paralympian status. Liam Hickey is one of those rare athletes. He represented Canada at the 2016 Paralympics in wheelchair basketball and the 2018 and 2022 Paralympics in Para ice hockey. Ultimately, financial pressure and time constraints compelled him to focus solely on Para ice hockey. The…
“Athlete transfer” opens opportunities for development in Para sport
A Para athlete who chooses to pursue a new sport or get involved in a second sport, or whose circumstances force them to leave their sport, is engaging in a process called “athlete transfer.” The Paralympic Athlete Transfer Task Force has undertaken research to understand athlete transfer experience and inform future policies and pathways.
Concussion in Para sport
Concussions are common in Para sports such as blind soccer, where collisions between players frequently occur. Research shows that despite the high concussion risk posed in blind soccer, many athletes do not feel confident in their ability to recognize a concussion. Improving concussion education, particularly around concussion symptoms, may help improve concussion recognition in this…
Perspectives on doping from Para coaches
Less research has focused on doping in Paralympic sport than Olympic sport. A recent study focused on Para sport coaches showed that they identify doping as an issue in Para sport and that it often stems from financial incentives and pressure to win.
Key considerations for Para athlete recovery
Para sport has grown substantially in the past decades with increases in athlete participation as well as training intensities and sport performance (Patricios & Webborn, 2021; Fagher et coll., 2016). Yet, there is still limited research to help inform practice, especially concerning sport physiology and health in Para athletes (Gee et coll., 2021). Recently, more…
A sociocultural analysis of adaptive skateboarding and wheelchair motocross
View the summary of this research here. This study explored physically disabled skateboarders and wheelchair motocross (WCMX) riders’ experiences with the skateboarding community, online (on Instagram), and within skatepark settings. It aims to add to the growing research on physically disabled peoples’ participation in adaptive sports, giving insight into their experiences in the informal, adaptive…
The development and implementation of a mentoring program for parasport coaches
View the summary of this research here. Introduction and context Partnering with a provincial coaching association in Canada, we explored the experiences and perceptions of 15 mentor and 29 mentee coaches who participated in a formal virtual parasport coach mentorship program. Mentor coaches built a virtual relationship through mutual trust and respect and were perceived…
Parenting in Parasport
Parents of athletes with disabilities face challenges like limited local sport options and funding, but they also experience benefits like social inclusion and support. Scholars suggest that sport programs should tackle these cultural and environmental barriers and actively involve parents in creating support systems. Additionally, there is a need to enhance talent identification pathways for…