Faculty of Kinesiology

Where Faculty Matters

Paralympic Classifiers in London: Dr. Melanie Gregg (right) and UWinnipeg alumnus Tom Hammond (Centre)

Dr. Melanie Gregg, professor of sport and exercise psychology, recently attended the London 2012 Paralympic Games as chief classifier for track and field athletes with intellectual impairment. Dr. Gregg is part of an international research group working on developing and modifying classification protocols for athletes with intellectual impairment.

Classification determines who is eligible to compete in a Paralympic sport and it groups the eligible athletes in sport classes according to their activity limitation in a certain sport.  The Paralympic Movement offers sport opportunities for athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments.  Intellectual impairment is described as “limited in regards to intellectual functions and their adaptive behaviour, which is diagnosed before the age of 18 years.”

Dr. Gregg headed up the team of four classifiers which included Department of Kinesiology & Applied Health alumnus Tom Hammond. The group was tasked with assessing the track and field competitors in cognitive function, using sport specific tests and through in-competition observation. The group is also identifying the impact of intellectual impairment on sport participation and performance.

Dr. Gregg reports that her experiences at the Paralympic Games were invaluable. Experiencing, first hand, the world’s largest multi-sport event for athletes with disability provided the opportunity to learn a great deal. She was also able to attend other sports like seated volleyball and wheelchair rugby.

For more information about the Paralympic Games see: www.paralympic.org