Vicky Tolfrey on parasport research and childhood dreams of the Olympics

维姬·托弗里 (Vicky Tolfrey) 谈残疾人运动研究和儿时的奥运会梦想

The Life Scientific

科学

2024-07-30

28 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

It's summer - no really - and although the weather might have been mixed, the sporting line-up has been undeniably scorching - from the back-and-forth of Wimbledon, to the nail-biting Euros, to the current pageantry of the Summer Olympics. Next month the 2024 Paralympic Games get underway in Paris, involving the world’s very best para athletes; and Professor Vicky Tolfrey is at the forefront of the science that makes their sporting dreams a reality. Vicky is the Director of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University, a hub for elite para-sport research. She’s worked with stars from the worlds of wheelchair athletics, basketball, rugby and tennis, amongst others – and in 2017, became the first European recipient of the International Paralympic Committee’s prestigious Scientific Award. She tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili about her work with elite para athletes, her experiences at major international sporting events, and her childhood dreams of becoming an Olympian herself. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor

单集文稿 ...

  • BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts.

  • Hello, and welcome to the podcast edition of the Life Scientific.

  • I'm Jamal Khalili and this is the show where I get to talk with some of the world's leading scientists and you get to find out what drives them.

  • So sit back, get comfortable and enjoy the episode.

  • So the summer is here, and even if we're not guaranteed good weather over these middle months, one thing we can be assured of is a scorching run of sporting events.

  • In tennis, we've had the back and forth of Wimbledon.

  • Football fans have bitten their nails to the quick following the Euros.

  • And right now, millions of us are enjoying the pageantry and variety of the Summer Olympics in Paris.

  • And, of course, it's not over yet.

  • Next month, the 2024 Paralympic Games get underway, showcasing the incredible mental and physical fortitude of the world's very best para athletes.

  • My guest today is at the forefront of the science that makes their sporting dreams a reality.

  • Vicky Tolfrey is the director of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University, a hub for elite parasport research.

  • She's worked with sporting stars from the worlds of wheelchair athletics, basketball, rugby and tennis, amongst others.

  • And in 2017, she was the first European recipient of the International Paralympic Committee's prestigious scientific award.

  • She says sport is so powerful for social connections as well as health benefits.

  • Even if someone doesn't become a world champion, if I helped them to embrace sport as part of their lifestyle, that in itself is the reward.

  • Professor Vicki Tolfrey, welcome to the Life Scientific.

  • Thank you very much.

  • It's a pleasure to be here.

  • You've been going to the Paralympic games, Vicky, since 1996, so I imagine you're itching to get out to Paris next month.