As part of the October monthly update, we introduce to you two new PhD students working within the school of sport exercise and health sciences here at Loughborough University.
Paralympic sport has always been something that has captured Brodie’s attention and after attending the London 2012 Paralympics as a spectator, Brodie was driven to work with athletes with disabilities. Whilst completing her Undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University, Brodie advocated for more inclusive practice on campus through previous roles on the Sport Senate and Athletic Union Executive.
More recently, Brodie completed her research project for her MSc in Exercise as Medicine, looking at the factors influencing para-athlete well-being. Alongside her studies, Brodie supports and works with student-athletes in her role as a Performance Lifestyle Mentor for Loughborough Performance Sport.
Over the course of the PhD, Brodie aims to look at the facilitators and barriers experienced by female para-athletes, and how these affect their decisions and ability to negotiate motherhood whilst remaining in a high-performance athletic environment. Brodie hopes her research will go on to inform elite sporting support structures for mother para-athletes – whether that be during pregnancy, post-partum or whilst childrearing.