Ava Neely graduated in June 2024 with a Bachelor in Human Kinetics and a Minor in Psychology. Like many students, she started first year at UBC Okanagan without an exact map of her academic path before finding the ideal combination—and balance along the way.
“I started UBC Okanagan in the Faculty of Science,” says Ava. “With a competitive sports background I met other students doing sports. Then I learned what kinesiology was about—the cognitive, social, emotional and physical benefits of exercise. I then transferred into the School of Health and Exercise Sciences. A Bachelor degree in Human Kinetics and a Minor in Psychology seemed a good fit.”
Ava pilot tests the COSMED K5 for a validation study with fellow lab mates. The COSMED is a portable metabolic cart which was used in the validation study to measure cardiorespiratory fitness levels during the leg and arm cycling tests.
As Ava progressed in her degree she looked for an entry point to get involved in research. She contacted Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis, Professor in both the School of Health and Exercise Sciences and the Department of Medicine. Dr. Martin Ginis’s research focuses on understanding and changing physical activity behaviour, particularly among people living with spinal cord injury.
Dr. Martin Ginis offered her a chance to work fulltime in her lab over the summer. Dr. Martin Ginis also introduced her to Dr. Heather Gainforth, Associate Professor and Director of the Applied Behaviour Lab (ABC Lab) where her team works to close the gap between health behaviour change research and practice. With the mentorship and support of these researchers, Ava found opportunities open up for her, including attending research conferences.
Build those connections with your profs. They care about the students and have a passion for what they do. They encouraged, inspired and mentored me to become the person I am today.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Dr. Martin Ginis,” says Ava. “Our interests aligned so well, and it was through the exposure to research and these relationships that I decided to pursue an honours thesis.”
She was co-supervised by Drs. Martin Ginis and Cameron Gee, and, in April 2023, she successfully defended her Undergraduate Honours Thesis on the Construct Validity of the Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for People with Disabilities. The thesis explored whether the measures of physical activity participation for use among people with physical and/or sensory disabilities were actually valid and reliable. In other words, are researchers really measuring what they think they are measuring?
Her results provided preliminary evidence confirming that, yes, the questionnaire on physical activity has validity, but Ava notes that more data is needed, particularly in taking into account the diverse disability groups represented in the Canadian population.
At the 2023 ICORD Annual Research Meeting, Ava presented some of the findings from her Honours Thesis.
In her final term, Ava decided to push herself more out of her comfort zone. She went on an international exchange to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She recommends the experience to other students with an interest in travel and meeting new people. She credits Go Global with helping her determine what schools to choose from and what courses were compatible with her degree.
In her final term, Ava went on international exchange to Monash University in Australia. Here she visits the Twelve Apostles rock formations along Australia’s coast.
After finishing her degree at the end of 2023, Ava then took a few months off to further indulge her passion for travel––wending her way through New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia––before returning to Canada to find work.
With her accumulated degrees and substantial life and learning experience, she was hired on to the team at Lifemark Health Group in Calgary. In her role as Return to Work Coordinator, Ava assists people injured on the job to return to work in a safe way. This entails worksite visits to analyze the physical demands of the job and developing a plan in collaboration with the employer and employee on when, how and if the employee can go back to the same duties as before the injury.
“I enjoy the collaborative environment,” says Ava. “Our team consists of five other kinesiologists in addition to myself, and two physiotherapists. A couple of us are new graduates.”
Though she enjoys her current work, Ava has her sights set on Masters in Kinesiology. She plans to start in the Fall of 2025 with a focus on how exercise prescriptions may help prevent or mitigate dementia and cognitive decline.
Grateful for all the personal and professional growth over the course of her undergraduate experience, Ava attests to finding balance as key.
“Because of my competitive nature, I tend towards overloading myself with challenges,” says Ava. “While good to be ambitious, I’ve also learned that moderation in all the areas of my life is good for me and yields the best results.”