Kirsten is dedicated to creating spaces of flourishing through vulnerability and reflexivity within sport and recreation in order to create affirming and meaningful environments to move in. They come to this work as a passionate practitioner, educator, and researcher within sport and recreation, specializing in reflexivity within physical activity. Their professional background involves working with many sport organizations to develop sport, recreation, and leisure experiences for those across various intersections. Kirsten's research highlights the importance of confronting and disrupting ableist understandings and practices, of micro and macroaggressions, to create spaces to thrive in. After completing their education, Kirsten now holds the title of the Recreation Sport Supervisor with Cougar Athletics and Recreation. Kirsten is excited to continue co-creating spaces of learning where we can critically examine the many intersectional roles we hold within sport and recreation and how to contribute to increasingly meaningful and affirming movement experiences.

Areas of Instruction:

• Adapted/Inclusive Physical Activity
• Reflexivity in physical education

 Areas of Scholarship:

• Anti-ableism in sport and recreation
• Equitable and Inclusive sport and recreation
• Practitioner reflexivity

Selected Publications:

Masters Thesis - It Might Be ‘Us’ Not ‘Them’: An Autoethnographic Reflexion of Ableist Practices in Adapted Physical Activity (2021)

 Selected Presentations:

• 'Us' not 'Them': A Disruption of Ableist Adapted Physical Activity Understandings for the Calgary Adapted Hub (2022)
• Inclusion in Adapted Physical Activity: Revisiting, Reinventing, Re-conceptualizing? for ISAPA with Dr. Nancy Spencer and Rebecca Rubuliak (2019)                            

 Relevant Community Service:

• Professional Member - NIRSA (2021-Present)
• Diversity and INclusion Collaborator - INclusion INcorporated (2021-Present)
• UofA Graduate Student Representative - NAFAPA (2019-2020)
• Board Member - Special Olympics Alberta (2017-2020)
• Adapted Physical Activity Symposium (2016-2017)