In this week's SPRINT Project blog we are meeting Tasha Jordan Dewhurst and Bruna Feitosa de Oliveira, who are joining the SPRINT Project. Keep reading to find out all about them and how they will be getting involved with the team!
Hi there! We are excited to introduce ourselves as the new members of the SPRINT team for the next 6 months.
Let's find out more about Bruna!
Hello! My name is Bruna and I am excited to share this post alongside Tasha and introduce myself as a visiting PhD student of the SPRINT project team. I am an international student from Brazil who studied undergraduate Physical Education, a master's in human development and technologies and now a PhD student at Sao Paulo State University. For the next six months I will be creating many new experiences at the University of Birmingham and the SPRINT project team so I’m excited for the challenges ahead.
All my life I’ve been engaged in sports activities and movement, both because of my family’s love for it and my own personal interest. I have partaken in many sports, such as dance, futsal, volleyball, athletics and basketball- which used to be my passion. Although I never competed as a professional, I’ve always wanted to be involved in the sports context, and this led me to study physical education in college. At first it wasn’t clear how and where I could fit in, but once I got to know more about sports psychology everything changed! From the beginning my interests turned to: how can we help athletes to deal/manage their emotions? What skills can be learned?
During my master’s I studied whether imagery training with college athletes using videos could help improve their skills. It was my first step into psychological skills training and now, in my PhD, I am interested to discover if there’s a relationship between imagery, anxiety and coping within athletes from different competition levels and sports. Considering this, I feel that I am in a great place to exchange knowledge and improve myself both as a professional and as a person!
Image description: A photo of Bruna at the Library of Birmingham.
Next up is Tasha!
Hi everyone! I’m Tasha, currently on a placement year from my BSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University. Over the next six months, I’ll be working as a research assistant with the SPRINT Project, under the guidance of Professor Jennifer Cumming and Dr. Mary Quinton, and I cannot wait for the opportunities ahead.
Sport has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. From representing Great Britain in Aerobic Gymnastics as a child to competing in dance throughout my teenage years- my passion for sport has only grown. Fitness is also a big part of my life, from strength training to more recently taking up long-distance running. This year, I’ve completed multiple half-marathons and I’m thrilled to be running in the London Marathon next year, raising money for the Roy Lung Cancer Foundation!
One of the most interesting parts of my journey has been exploring the mental side of sport. My own experiences, particularly in coach-athlete relationships and the pressures of competition, have led to a deep interest in sport psychology. As mental health, resilience and well-being is becoming increasingly recognized in sports, it makes joining the SPRINT Project even more exciting for me.
Since joining the team, I’ve already gained valuable skills in systematic reviewing, participant recruitment, and facilitating workshops. Our weekly journal clubs have been an incredible way to deepen my understanding of key research areas. I’m especially passionate about the work we’re doing to prevent and identify harm in dance environments, which resonates with me as both a dancer and a researcher. I’m confident that these experiences will be invaluable when I return to Loughborough for my final year in September, particularly as I begin working on my dissertation. It’s been inspiring to work alongside such a talented group, including Bruna, who’s travelled all the way from Brazil — which definitely puts my London commute into perspective!
Image description: A photo of Tasha outside the School of Sport, Exercise &Rehabilitation Sciences building.
We can’t wait to share with you our journey and how we navigate our studies, experiences, and explore the dynamic world of sport, dance and research.
Image credit: Bruna Feitosa de Oliveira & Tasha Jordan Dewhurst.
Written by Tasha Jordan Dewhurst and Bruna Feitosa de Oliveira, partaking in Placement at the SPRINT Project
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