Led by Peter Harrison Centre Director Professor Vicky Tolfrey and supported by Information Officer Ellie-May Storr, the event brough together Peter Harrison Foundation Members, Loughborough University staff, PHC doctoral researchers, Loughborough Lightning coaches and players and elite para-athletes to celebrate the work and success of the centre.
Following the opening address of the Vice Chancellor (Professor Nick Jennings) and the Dean of the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (Professor Mark Lewis). The centre was proud to have GB Wheelchair Rugby Tokyo 2020 Gold Medallist Nick Cummins formally unveil the new plaque, which will be placed inside and outside of the Peter Harrison Laboratory.
It was great to share the success of the GB Wheelchair Rugby Team, which has been well supported by the PHC. The trustees were thrilled to get the chance to have an up-close look at a Paralympic gold medal! Loughborough Lightning Wheelchair Basketball head coach George Bates also joined us, sharing yet more silverware and the team’s success at recent competitions.
Our doctoral researchers put together a fantastic showcase of the diverse research being done here at the PHC, via poster presentations to members of the foundation. We caught up with doctoral researcher James Haley, to see what he thought of the event:
“The event was well-prepared, and the poster presentation made it easy to speak with new and existing colleagues about my research interests. I made new connections, which I hope will lead to potential new collaborations in the field of physical activity and disability sport.”
We also had the chance to give live demos and tours of our world leading laboratory facilities, with doctoral researcher Pippa Bailey and Dr Ben Stephenson (Research Associate) assisting with the testing demos in the lab. We spoke to Pippa after the event:
“It was great to connect with the PHC foundation and show them around our facilities and explain how our equipment works. I also enjoyed having the chance to hear about the work of my fellow doctoral researchers”
Overall, the event brought to life the impact of the research and efforts within the Peter Harrison Centre, and we thank everyone involved, and the trustees for visiting campus.
The centre is continuing to celebrate the influence of the PHC - keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive booklet being released soon, whereby the achievements and impacts from the Peter Harrison Foundation are recognised.
