In November, Ellie-May Storr showcased her PhD research at the Nordic Classification Conference, hosted by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Delivered online, this conference brought together international researchers, classifiers, and practitioners working across multiple Para sports. Ellie-May delivered an oral presentation outlining the psychological focus of her PhD work, contributing to ongoing global conversations around evidence-informed practice and development within Para sport systems.
This international engagement was followed by Ellie-May’s attendance at the British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology (DSEP) Annual Conference, held in Leeds from 1st–2nd December. The DSEP conference is a key event in the UK sport and exercise psychology calendar, attracting researchers and applied practitioners. Ellie-May again delivered an oral presentation on her findings specific to Study 1 of her PhD, titled: “A Race to the Bottom”: Understanding Athlete and Athlete Support Personnel Perceptions, Psychological Stressors, and the Mental Health Impacts of Classification in Wheelchair Rugby.” Ellie-May works as a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist alongside her PhD and said: “DSEP was a great opportunity to disseminate my emerging research, receive constructive feedback, and engage in discussion with both academic and applied audiences. I like when my applied and research work come together”.
The conference period concluded with Ellie-May attending the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Sport Science and Medicine Conference, hosted at St George’s Park on 10th–11th December. Ellie-May is the Sport and Exercise Psychologist for the England Men’s Mixed Disability Cricket Team and was invited to attend as a guest. This conference brought together professionals working across elite sport science, medicine, and performance support in cricket. Ellie-May described the conference:
“It was a really valuable insight into current applied practice, interdisciplinary working, and emerging trends within high-performance sport environments, supporting continued professional development and knowledge exchange across my research and practice.”
Collectively, attendance and presentation across these conferences’ highlights Ellie-May’s and the Centre’s commitment to research dissemination, interdisciplinary engagement, and real-world impact across disability sport, psychology, and applied performance settings.