AFTER COMPLETING HER PHD IN BRAZIL and then becoming a mother, Dr. Barbara Oliveira knew that her work in academia was far from over. With a hunger to create small changes that lead to big results, she moved to Canada with her family to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Little in the Exercise, Metabolism and Inflammation Lab.

Little did she know that her passion for education would influence numerous people who have crossed her path.

Dr. Oliveira started her career as a dietitian, working in clinical sports nutrition. During her PhD, she studied diabetes and vitamins within a laboratory setting. She continued research into her postdoctoral studies, where she is currently exploring nutritional approaches such as low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets in the treatment and prevention of Type 2 diabetes.

SMALL CHANGES LEADING TO BIG EFFECTS 

When reflecting on why she was motivated to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Oliveira credits her love of academia and the university environment—a unique workplace that mixes administration, research and connection through knowledge. As a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, she envisions herself being in a university setting for the rest of her life. But in a unique capacity that is different from the usual research or teaching path that most postdoctoral fellows strive for.

Learn more about Postdoctoral Fellowships

“I like the administrative part of universities. I could be a professor or a lecturer but I don’t envision myself doing that. I really enjoy the backend of it all, like writing grants, organizing projects and the other things that happen.”

Dr. Oliveira looks to her research for inspiration when discussing the appeal of working to successfully strengthen, guide and prepare a university for the future.

“My research investigates how changing one’s diet can help reverse Type 2 diabetes—a disease that is widespread around the world. The power of something as simple as nutrients and diet can influence people in many ways, without basing a solution on drugs or invasive treatment.

“Similarly, the administrative work that I’m passionate about can make a significant difference for others, directly empowering them by giving them tools they can put into action.”

BRIDGING THE GAP 

In other facets of her life, Dr. Oliveira applied this same idea of creating a simple change that leads to a transformative outcome.

After attending a welcome event for postdoctoral fellows hosted by the College of Graduate Studies, she and her peers realized the campus lacked a centralized peer unit to represent postdocs. They wanted to create a space where they could connect with other postdocs, share advice and find resources easily.

“I remember my first month at UBC Okanagan was quite hectic because a lot of the information needed for postdocs was spread out over campus.”

While Dr. Oliveira’s incentive to find answers was strong, she realized other postdocs may get confused or discouraged more easily. After hearing what others experienced, she understood how crucial this support would be and how it could provide an inclusive space for postdoctoral fellows, who often feel as if their identity on campus falls between a faculty member and student.

Working with her peers, Dr. Oliveira helped create the PDA UBCO (Postdoctoral Association of UBC Okanagan). She was confident that it could be another way she could use her knowledge and available resources to help others in an impactful way.

“It’s very tough transitioning to postdoctoral studies, especially if you’ve come from another country. I found it so important to set up a centralized office to give consistent advice and pay it forward for future postdocs as well,” she explains. “I want to provide the best possible experience for postdocs, even if that means answering questions about where to eat on campus, working with supervisors, or just being a friendly face.”

Dr. Oliveira aimed to bridge the gap between UBC Okanagan and postdoctoral fellows, making the postdoc experience as valuable as possible and showcasing the breadth of resources that UBC Okanagan has to offer. She urges other postdocs to make the best of their experience by taking advantage of these resources and making connections during their short time as a fellow.

EMPOWERING OTHERS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE 

Dr. Oliveira attributes her passion for influencing others through her education to her deep interest in people. She enjoys conversation and connection, and likes hearing the stories from others’ point of view.

“As president of the Postdoctoral Association, I love being able to connect with other postdocs—it’s my favourite part of the job. In my research too, I’m the kind of person who goes out there. I’m not just inside my office with my computer, I want to talk to people and get to know them.

“When we had participants in the lab, it was such an honour to listen to their experiences and how their lives have been changing because of my advice. To this day, I receive emails from people who are just grateful. But it’s me who is the most grateful because I was able to help with one small gesture.”

By continuing in academia, Dr. Oliveira hopes to share her knowledge to benefit people. She leads the way in demonstrating that individuals can be empowered when changes are minor and easy to implement.

She offers a great example of how every individual has the power to impact others in their own unique way, and that the core of any meaningful change comes from taking the time to educate and connect with others.

The post Influence Through Education appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

For the first time, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) will host a teaching-focused symposium at its annual conference. Led by HES faculty member, Greg duManoir, attendees of the symposium will be exposed to some of the principles of how people learn.

EMILY GIROUX CAN DEFY GRAVITY. For more than 15 years she trained as a gymnast and dancer, jumping, pirouetting and chasseing through competitions. Her athleticism kindled early aspirations of being a physiotherapist.

However, that all changed when she landed firmly on her feet as a researcher working with the spinal cord injury (SCI) community. She’s found passion to work as an advocate for those who are living with physical disabilities.

Learn more about Health and Exercise Sciences

And her unique approach in working with this group to understand their needs has landed Giroux the MITACS Award for Outstanding Innovation—Master’s, the only one bestowed across Canada in 2018.

RESEARCH CONVERT

Giroux is an Ontario girl who entered the undergraduate kinesiology program at McMaster University with no firm career plans. A chance opportunity to work with SCI researcher Kathleen Martin Ginis in Giroux’s fourth year turned the “not keen on research” student into a convert.

“I didn’t have any research experience until my last year of university,” says Giroux. “During this practicum, I saw the positive impacts it could have in everyday life.”

With prompting from Martin Ginis—now a professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences—Giroux explored graduate studies at UBC Okanagan and the work of the Applied Behaviour Change (ABC) Lab run by Assistant Professor Heather Gainforth, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research scholar.

SPRING-BOARDING TO THE OKANAGAN
Gainforth’s positive energy and the friendly and supportive atmosphere of the ABC Lab group made the transition from Ontario to British Columbia an easy one for Giroux. She quickly became immersed in her graduate research, addressing the concerns of individuals with SCI as they age.

“Individuals with SCI are more susceptible to aging-related changes at younger ages than those living without a physical disability,” says Giroux. She also notes that aging with SCI is an important topic to research as more people than ever before will be living with long-term SCIs into their elderly years.

Her master’s project involved 22 interviews with individuals over 45 years of age who had been living with a SCI for a minimum of 10 years. They discussed their experiences of aging and specific events that made it difficult or easy to participate in daily activities.

Her research was conducted in partnership with three Canadian SCI organizations: SCI BC, SCI Alberta and SCI Ontario to develop recommendations designed to improve the quality of life for SCI community members. Tangible solutions—such as changing physical accessibility in public areas, educating the community about SCI needs and issues and addressing physical issues like incontinence—were among some of the topics examined.

This type of partnered research, called integrated knowledge translation, engages end-users as equal partners with researchers throughout the entire research process. The practice is Gainforth’s speciality, and its real-world and timely impact is what drew Giroux to UBC Okanagan and the ABC Lab.

“I like to see how our research is making a difference, locally, nationally and internationally,” says Giroux. “The hope is that by engaging the end-users, the research is more likely be used and relevant for the people it’s intended for.”

While her research project is important for providing support to individuals aging with a SCI, Giroux says its findings could also have applications for aging populations outside the scope of SCI.

MITACS ACCELERATES THE PACE

The success of Giroux’s initial research project set the stage for a larger scale study.

To fund the endeavour, Giroux along with Gainforth applied for a MITACS Accelerate Grant, which provides students with a work opportunity in a non-academic environment, such as businesses and non-profit organizations. With MITACS support, Giroux started a four-month research internship with SCI Ontario to help define its research and implementation priorities over the next three years.

“There is a large gap in the time between initial research discovery and implementation of the research into a community,” says Giroux. “Involving the SCI community in determining research priorities for SCI Ontario and the Ontario SCI Alliance would accelerate this process and, thus, ensure that time and resources are not wasted.”

Giroux, Gainforth and the Ontario SCI Alliance canvassed the Ontario SCI community to learn what research priorities would be most helpful to them. To achieve this, they worked with researchers at McGill University to develop and implement a large-scale, community-based Delphi consensus survey tool.

“The Delphi is a formal, systematic and reproducible method of arriving at consensus that has been previously used in other communities,” says Giroux. “But we were among the first to use it on a large-scale for decision-making in the SCI population.”

The Delphi was the ideal method because it puts decisions in the hands of those most affected. Additionally, it allows for input from a large number of participants who are geographically dispersed.

Not only did Giroux develop the survey, she sent it to over 2,500 members of the SCI community. And close to 75 per cent of responses came from people with lived experience of a SCI.

“This method is proving to be very successful at having groups of people reach consensus,” says Giroux. “It was also very valuable for SCI Ontario and the Ontario SCI Alliance, who were able to validate their research priorities. They had reassurance that the priorities they’re working on are important and relevant.”

As a result, SCI Ontario and the Ontario SCI Alliance will continue to allocate time, effort, and resources into four areas: primary care and community supports, bladder management, neuropathic pain, and pressure injuries.

Gainforth praised the work done by Giroux and SCI Ontario: “The process and resulting method developed by Emily and her colleagues is a major research achievement.”

WINNING PROJECT

Based on the survey’s success, Gainforth and Peter Athanasopoulos, of SCI Ontario, nominated Giroux for the MITACS Award for Outstanding Innovation in the Masters category.

Giroux was recently named the recipient of the prestigious award—the only one in Canada—giving her reason to jump, pirouette and chasse again.

“From the time I found out I won, to preparing for the acceptance, was a whirlwind,” she says.

Giroux was invited to Ottawa to accept the award, discuss her research, and brief ministers on the impact of the work.

Gainforth says Giroux is certainly deserving of the recognition. “Emily is an outstanding person and researcher. She possesses a rare combination of interpersonal and academic research skills that will ensure she makes a difference in the lives of people with SCI.”

Giroux says she was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected award: “I was invested in the project because I know our work is making a difference. That is all the reward I need.”

Learn more

Read more about Giroux on the Innovation UBC site.

UBC Okanagan’s Disability Resource Centre provides support for students, faculty, and staff that ensures educational equity for those who have a disability, illness, or injury and experience barriers in an educational setting.

Read more about SCI research at UBC Okanagan in the story Game Changers.

The post Defying gravity and making a difference appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

YOU GOT YOUR BELL WRUNG. You’re dizzy and dazed, seeing stars. Well, shake it off and get back out there.

Why Human Kinetics?

Until recently, this was how athletes and coaches in contact sports such as hockey and football reacted to a “stinger”—the kind of trauma that feels like a lightning bolt to the injured area. Sometimes, even more startling, this is also how victims of domestic violence responded.

The tide is turning however, as society recognizes that traumatic hits to the head can result in injury to the brain—a delicate, gelatinous organ of soft nervous tissue with 100 billion neurons, each neuron communicating with 10,000 other neurons.

When the brain is violently jostled in the cranial fluid, the injured party may experience such symptoms as headaches, nausea, fatigue and vertigo, personality changes, sleep disturbances, memory loss, epilepsy or lasting, progressive impairment—or utter catastrophe.

Enter, Paul van Donkelaar, a professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences, who works with his research team on traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to sports concussion or intimate partner violence.

HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

“Sport-related concussion is becoming a major concern for athletes, parents, coaches and sport associations,” says van Donkelaar. “Finding ways to improve the safety of contact sports is one key approach to mitigating the risks.”

As such, van Donkelaar and his colleagues have embarked on evaluating the effects of repetitive impacts on players’ heads during contact and non-contact sports.

One of his recent research studies showed that using your head to alter the course of fast traveling, 80 km/hr soccer ball may have negative consequences. His findings are the first to show that certain biomarkers of nerve cell injury were elevated following multiple hits and these correlated with a higher number of concussion-like symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and confusion.

“We suggest that heading in soccer should not be overlooked as a potential way to inflict damage to nerve cells,” he adds.

‘SHREDDING’ THE BURDEN OF CONCUSSION

An all-star team of Canadian researchers, including van Donkelaar, is being brought together to focus their playbooks on the reduction of concussions and their consequences in youth sport across Canada. This initiative, led by University of Calgary researcher Carolyn Emery, is funded by the National Football League (NFL).

The Surveillance in High Schools to Reduce Concussions and Consequences of Concussions in Youth (SHRed) program will provide a national platform for concussion surveillance in high schools to evaluate new and sustainable solutions for concussion prevention. More than 6,000 high school students will be followed for three years in sports such ice hockey, rugby, football, lacrosse, wrestling, soccer, basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.

“Concussions are difficult to diagnose and treat,” says van Donkelaar. “Our research has shown that they can disrupt the flow of blood to the brain, altering the supply of oxygen, glucose and nutrients. This, in turn, can affect the brain’s ability to function, causing symptoms like headache, dizziness, and blurred vision.”

FOLLOW THE FLOW

Led by a team of students—“they’re the boots on the ground doing all the work”—van Donkelaar’s lab is studying how to mitigate concussions. They are examining how the injury affects blood flow to the brain, and how that affects neurocognitive functions such as concentration, balance and attention span. Using state-of-the-art techniques including 3-D motion analysis, eye tracking and transcranial magnetic stimulation, the researchers also seek to answer how to reduce sport-related concussions.

“The main goals we have in our research is to diagnose and help athletes, coaches and parents in terms of tracking their recovery of function, and then ultimately making a better-informed and objective return-to-play or return-to-activity decision.”

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION

Until recently, the link between traumatic brain injury and intimate partner violence has been largely unexplored. To better understand the dynamic in this vulnerable population, van Donkelaar and his team have partnered with the Kelowna Women’s Shelter in a community-based research project.

“Unlike athletes who have suffered a sport-related concussion, survivors of intimate partner violence also, quite often, experience emotional difficulties such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety,” says van Donkelaar.

Once the data on the incidence of traumatic brain injury in this population is gathered, van Donkelaar hopes to improve the lives of the victims and their supporting network.

“We hope our research will help change the conversation around traumatic brain injury in this population, as it has for athletes, and shine a spotlight on the unacceptable problem of traumatic brain injury in women at the hands of the ones they love,” he says.

The post Evaluating the effects of repetitive impacts appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

WHIRLWINDS OF CHANGE carried first-year Human Kinetics student Zuwena Haji Machano to BC’s Okanagan Valley.

Why Human Kinetics?

Born on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania, East Africa, she moved across the continent to attend high school in Ghana. From SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College, as a teen, she travelled again in 2014 to UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna—another new life and educational experience.

It was a culture shock, and the transition proved challenging.

With the support of UBC’s International Programs and Services and a series of campus support programs, services, and mentors, Haji Machano adjusted to idiosyncrasies such as Canadian pronunciation and Western food. When she acquired a rice cooker and warm clothing, life got much easier.

Unaccustomed to four seasons, Haji Machano had to acclimate to BC winters. Her first Canadian snowfall is etched in her mind. “The first time I saw snow, I had just woken up,” she says. “I was so excited. Yes! It snowed!’”

INSPIRATION & GUIDANCE

As a child growing up in Zanzibar, Haji Machano lost a family member due to inadequate medical care. It motivated her UBC journey.

Here, she’s found faculty guidance, support, and creative classes with instructors such as Sally Willis-Stewart, undergraduate coordinator for the School of Health and Exercise Sciences. Haji Machano enjoys Willis-Stewart’s teaching style and how it incorporates exercise and movement. “Fun classes,” she says.

Peer mentor and fellow BHK student Claire Lindsey became her rock, always available to talk. That selflessness inspired Haji Machano to become a peer mentor, too.

Haji Machano also found fellowship in student groups such as the Human Kinetics Student Union, the African Caribbean Student Club, and the Rejoice Cultural Fashion Show. These helped the admittedly shy first-year student meet and mingle with new friends.

WHERE THE HEART IS

The roots of home continue to be important. In Ghana, Haji Machano helped build a school, taught junior-high students, and raised funds for a community clinic. She and her classmates regularly bussed four hours to the clinic, where they ensured children and elders had clean drinking water. “It was early mornings and hard work,” she says, recalling the volunteerism that made her such an outstanding candidate for UBC’s international student award.

At UBC, she’s learned how to make friends, manage her finances, and adjust to change while learning new concepts, theories and modes of thinking. The experience has grown her in many ways.

Haji Machano’s turning point came in a conversation with friends—other international students keen to stay in Canada after university. It was during their talk that she realized she didn’t feel the same way; her post-degree ambitions had evolved.

“At UBC, I changed the way I think,” she says. “People here have many medical services and physiotherapists. I can do more to help at home in Africa.”

The post Zuwena Haji Machano adjusts to university life in Canada, half a world away from home appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

FEW PEOPLE TRULY ENJOY EXERCISE. In fact, despite knowing that fitness health begets happiness, many of us find sticking to an exercise regime an awful experience—both mentally and physically.

But the evidence is in: Just one workout can lead to improved emotional well-being, including reduced anxiety and depression, with increased energy and vigour.

The pros far outweigh the cons. So why is it so difficult to exercise?

Over the past three years at UBC’s Okanagan campus, Assistant Professor Mary Jung has worked in UBC’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences toward finding the secret behind what makes an exercise routine stick.

With the global health market pushing $30 billion dollars a year, Dr. Jung’s recently published research project Where Does HIT Fit? could tip the scale toward a veritable revolution in New Year’s resolutions.

HITTING ON AN ALTERNATIVE

HIT—short for high-intensity training—involves short bursts of activity with periods of rest and has been touted as a time-efficient, novel alternative to conventional no-pain-no-gain exercise.

Why Human Kinetics?

Jung was intrigued to know how people actually respond to HIT psychologically, and whether people would actually do it when not under the guise of a research study.

“Several exercise physiologists were conducting studies and demonstrating how effective HIT was at improving fitness,” she says. “After seeing such promising results, I wanted to see whether it was an attractive long-term exercise option—and whether or not people enjoyed it.”

Jung combined her expertise in health and exercise psychology with UBC Okanagan’s exercise physiologist Dr. Jonathan Little, who specializes in high-intensity interval training, to devise an exercise counselling program matched with HIT that would promote lasting success.

Rather than just telling people to start exercising, Jung teaches them how to self-regulate exercise so that they can exercise on their own for years to come. Participants learn key self-regulatory skills, including bolstering self-confidence to overcome whatever barrier comes in their way, goal-setting, and learning how to self-monitor their progress.

Jung and Little’s results thus far are promising: Manageable short bursts of activity partnered with two weeks of counselling has meant participants have become their own trainers for the long-term.

“I feel like I have a new lease on life,” says current program participant Beth Jardine.

Jardine was no stranger to the common barriers to exercising, having given up well-intentioned attempts to exercise regularly. She now counts more than 100 days of exercise since she started the program 4 months ago.

“It’s like giving yourself a gift,” she says.

The counselling sessions developed a routine that helped Jardine to achieve the ideal heart rate, while identifying barriers to exercise and, more importantly, solutions.

“One of my biggest barriers was the thought that you had to work very intensely to bring your heart rate high enough,” says Jardine, who now wakes up every morning to exercise.

The outcome: “I am proud of myself.”

The trump card we all have in our hand to play is self-confidence, Jung says.

“It is so rewarding to bring participants back in months after the counselling sessions and see the success they have experienced as independent exercisers,” she says. “We get to say, ‘You did that all on your own!’ ”

“Believing in yourself and your capabilities is more influential than any barrier placed in your way.”

STARTING YOUNG

Though Jung specializes in human kinetics, she still struggles like many others to fit exercise into her hectic schedule as a mother, wife, researcher, and professor.

“I have to practice what I preach on a daily basis,” she says.

Her passion for helping others stick to their exercise routines began early. Jung’s research interest was born in others’ successes when, at the age of 16, she started as a personal trainer and taught group fitness classes in Lindsay, Ontario. She was so keen, she even fibbed about her age to get the fitness membership.

Jung was drawn to exercise and health because she wanted to share the benefits with others.

“Seeing others be proud of their accomplishments is the most rewarding part of what I do,” she says.

After graduating from high school Jung didn’t think twice before deciding to pursue an undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics at McMaster University. She continued to instruct fitness classes throughout her undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees.

RAISING THE STAKES

“A great mentor once said to me that as you continue on in your academic career, the stakes just get higher and higher,” says Jung about the return to the University of Saskatchewan to pursue her PhD.

Jung quickly found her mentor was right: Each rank of academica progression combines fierce competition and increased workload—on top of which, she faced the decision about when to start a family. Which she did during her post-last year of her doctoral fellowship.

“I always knew I wanted to be a mother, but choosing when was a difficult decision.”

“I am grateful for those tough decisions.”

The stakes set Jung’s career path leading to UBC Okanagan.

Drawn to the research-driven School of Health and Exercise Sciences and outdoor recreation options that abound in the Okanagan, Jung began her research at UBC Okanagan following post-doc work at Western University in Ontario.

The young professor now has an impressive list of accomplishments, including being named a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar in 2014. She’s received more than $2.5 million in research funding.

TACKLING EXPECTATIONS

Regardless of age, ethnicity, sex, or health status, people report lack of time as the primary reason they fail to exercise on a regular basis.

“As a mother, I understand when people say it’s tough to find time to take care of oneself, make healthy meals, and exercise regularly,” she says.

Jung believes it’s empathy that helps her to create interventions relevant and applicable to the average person.

One way she meets her health goals is finding ways to fit in exercise with her daughter. When weather permits, the young family commutes to the Okanagan campus by bike or foot.

Ask Malaya what her mother does and she will tell you, “Mom teaches people how to exercise and be healthy.” (She is also the youngest participant in Jung’s research.)

“I must admit I have done the delayed gratification study on her to assess her level of self-regulation,” says Jung, describing the classic psychology test where children are presented with two options: get a marshmallow now, or wait five minutes and get two!

Self-regulation is a set of skills that doesn’t just relate to health behaviours, and Jung believes that when we hone these skills we can apply it to all of our life goals. She hopes she can instil these strategies in Malaya through example.

“I want to be a role model for her as a woman and mother with a career in science,” says Jung.

A role models for others too, Jung delivers regular community talks, which have included online webinars and workshops.

“My goal is to mobilize this knowledge and make it as accessible as possible,” she says.

Recently Jung collaborated with an Okanagan app developer to test the fitness app Motivation Engine. She says it is these community connections that satisfy her passion to help others.

“It really is all about helping you keep your resolutions.”

5 TACTICS FOR STICKING WITH IT

We asked Jung to break down her research into five tactics for adhering to exercise.

1) Reward yourself for every step you make towards achieving your long-term goal.

“Rewards motivate you and reinforce goal-related behaviour in the short-term,” Jung says.

Rewards promote consistency, which Jung identifies as key to success for adhering to health behaviours.

2) Avoid comparisons.

Jung shares how comparisons can be demotivating; they devalue what you accomplish.

“Focus on being the best you rather than looking like someone or fitting into a particular size,” she says. “If we rely on inaccurate misperceptions, we can’t appreciate our own progress.”

3) Be kind to yourself

“Please, please be self-compassionate,” Jung says. “Self-loathing will lead you directly to giving up.”

Jung adds it also leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety. There will be setbacks—you will need a day off here and there, and that is to be expected. Jung knows this is harder than it sounds, but recommends keeping track of both successes and failures because it can help you identify patterns and remove obstacles.

4) Exercise in the morning

Jung says research from her lab has demonstrated that plans to exercise in the morning are much more likely to lead to exercise than plans made in the afternoon.

“Your self-regulatory reserve is highest in the morning, and it is much less likely that barrier will creep up on you throughout the day.”

5) Believe in yourself

It might sound trite but Jung assures that you can stick to your new exercise plan.

“If you think you can, you can.”

“Research shows you are more likely to persist through challenges,” she says. “You will give more effort, you will set loftier goals, and most importantly you’re most likely to carry out those plans if you stop doubting yourself and start thinking, Yes I can.”

Credits

Story & photos by
Allyssa Costerton-Grant
Video by Media Centre | Studio

The post The future of exercise appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

ROSLYN HUBER’S WORDS ECHOED ACROSS Kelowna’s downtown marina as she shared insights with 800 soon-to-be high-school graduates embarking on their next steps.

Why Human Kinetics?

No stranger to healthy habits, Huber wanted to stress that the routines we form can determine our success. And that failure is necessary.

“I told them to keep failing at the things they love,” she says.

Knowing from personal experience that the road isn’t always straight, the accomplished trainer recalls her brave transition when she chose to give up full-time job security to pursue her passion for professional fitness training. “Everything seemed to fall into place when I trusted myself,” she says.

For the students, it was their opportunity to hear a speaker of their choice; for Huber, it was an opportunity to give back to her old school, Rutland Senior Secondary.

“It was a very special night.”

It wasn’t the first or last time Huber would be asked to share her empowering message.

HOT RECORD

Huber’s regular community presentations as a guest speaker inspire resiliency and a passion to do what you love. You find this thread throughout her life.

Her reputation as a leader, on and off the court, is defined by her record-breaking career with UBC Okanagan Heat Athletics.

Huber played almost every game of her career with the Heat Women’s Basketball team, where she became the highest scorer with a career total of 899 points.

This UBC alumna and former b-ball co-captain is known for her dedication and drive, which is reflected in a considerable list of accreditations.

Following her graduation from UBC Okanagan’s Human Kinetics program, Huber participated in Level 1 Moksha/Modo Teacher Training, and became a Certified Personal Trainer through CSEP. Her driving force: A passion for helping people create happier and healthier lives.

“I appreciate the opportunity to share my passion with my clients, day in and day out,” says Huber of her present role as a fitness professional at New Wave Fitness.

Huber appreciates the foundation she built with her Human Kinetics degree, and credits the people and the program for leading her to a career in fitness training.

ROLE OF THE MENTOR

“The Human Kinetics program organizers are striving to make the university experience better, and improve the courses they offer.”

Huber notes that the people she met at UBC Okanagan made all the difference—her mentors, in and out of the classroom, were instrumental.

“Professors Jen Jakobi and Mary Jung really believed in me as someone who can make a big difference in people’s lives.”

“Heather Semeniuk helped me be not only a better player, but a better person,” Huber says of her relationship with longstanding and recently retired women’s basketball coach.

Formerly the mentee, now the mentor, Huber dedicated her time to coaching young women in the Junior Heat Elite Basketball Club. And she recently became a Lululemon community ambassador in Kelowna, where her influence is spreading in the fitness community.

Huber has undeniable passion for helping people pursue their goals.

In her own words: “Live it up. Do it big. Bigger than that. Go!”

—by Allyssa Costerton-Grant

Credits

Photos by Darren Hull and courtesy of UBC Okanagan Heat

The post Sharing an empowering message appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.