Stijn Wolters
For three months, I worked at the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary, where I helped with various biomechanical studies. I learnt what biomechanical research looks like in practice, from data collection to analysis. Living in Canada, with the Rocky Mountains on my doorstep, made this experience abroad absolutely fantastic!
The research
Basketball players accelerate, jump and constantly change direction. These movements place significant forces on the knees and ankles, and the shoe plays a major role in how those forces are absorbed. For the study, I had ten basketball players test different shoe designs whilst performing a sharp 135-degree change of direction and a vertical jump, in a lab equipped with motion capture cameras and force plates embedded in the floor. I measured how their joints moved and how much energy they absorbed upon landing and take-off, with the aim of better understanding how shoe design can influence the risk of injury in basketball players. I organised the research together with a colleague, from recruiting participants and calibrating the equipment to processing the data and writing the report.
Leisure
Calgary was the perfect base from which to explore the Rockies. At the weekends, I’d head into the mountains with new friends to go hiking, ski touring, snowboarding, climbing and camping. It was brilliant to go on adventures together like that.
After my work placement, my girlfriend and I carried on travelling around to see more of the beautiful mountains and the surrounding area. What unspoilt countryside – I’m definitely going to miss it.
In conclusion
These three months have shown me what it’s like to carry out research in an international environment. I’ve learnt a great deal from the experience, both professionally and personally.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to KIVI for the financial support that helped make this experience abroad possible!
