Hello everyone.
This is my first contact as a recent convert !!!
I have recently completed my M.Sc. in sport and exercise assessment
and my main research areas are disability and sport participation.
My M.Sc. dissertation assessed the energy cost of a Paralympian runner,
which encompassed a physiological and qualitative comparison
of different types of prosthetic feet. A holistic approach was adopted that placed
particular emphasis on self-report measures by the athlete. The study assessed
five different ESPF and the Otto-Bock dynamic foot was clearly the
best. Is there anybody out there who is particularly interested in seeing this research
and would perhaps consider sponsoring me to attend an International conference whereby
the research would be presented to a world-wide audience ?
My research has attracted a very positive response with regard to the
BOA and the IOC. As a consequence, I have been invited to attend the VIIIth International
Postgraduate Seminar on Olympic Studies to be held in Greece, next year.
Later this year I hope to present the research at The V IOC World Congress on Sport
Science – Sydney, Australia or alternatively at The Third International Scientific
Congress on Modern Olympic Sport in Warsaw, Poland.
I am also awaiting confirmation of a research grant to attend the Olympic
Studies Centre in Lausanne later this year to further develop this
research and include socio-economic factors of successful performance
in amputee athletes.
It is my intention to register for a Ph.D. at the end of this year, which will involve
a multi-disciplinary analysis of sport by Paralympians, incorporating experimental
research with the sociological development of disability in sport. To further assist
my proposal, I have applied to be a volunteer at the Paralympic Games in Sydney in
the year 2000 and hope to present my research at the 4th Paralympic Congress in
Sydney, after the Games.
This research will only go ahead if I can secure sponsorship and a
supervisor, so If there is anyone out there who is interested in this
proposal and could offer any assistance / advice I would be extremely
grateful. Alternatively, if there is a prosthethes manufacturer
reading this and has a specific project in mind, I would be delighted
to be consulted.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it interested
you. I would be very grateful for any feed back. Please let me know what you think.
Best regards,
Victoria Miller