Meet the Team - Jasmine and Lulu!

Say hello to our newest members of the SPRINT Project team, Jasmine Wilkins and Lulu Donaghy, current Msci physiotherapists studying at the University of Birmingham. Continue reading to find out how our new students are involved with the project.  

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Hi everyone! As second year students on our physiotherapy journey this blog marks the beginning of our 5-week research placement working alongside Professor Jennifer Cumming and the SPRINT Project team focusing on safeguarding and abuse prevention in dance along with athlete injury psychology.  

Intro to Jasmine

Hello, my name is Jasmine Wilkins and alongside my physiotherapy degree I am also an athletics scholar at the University of Birmingham who represents Great Britain in the 100m and 200m. Sport is at the core of what I do, and I have a passion for how the body works and running fast! I also love to paint and get creative. This project will bring me a deeper appreciation for the governing bodies to make sport safe and how different sports do not all have the same level of support. As an athlete myself who is involved with numerous coaches’ physios and experiences with injury, I am excited to be working with Prof. Jennifer Cumming to deepen my understanding of the value of psychology in sport and rehab.   

I believe psychology plays a huge role in managing patients as a physiotherapist, so to strengthen my knowledge in patient centred care, this project will give me new skills to take forward with my studies and career.  

Image description: Jasmine competing for University of Birmingham.  

Intro to Lulu

Hi! I’m Lulu Donaghy, a second-year physiotherapy student at the University of Birmingham. I’m excited to be starting my research placement working on the SPRINT Project with Prof. Jennifer Cumming. This placement gives me the opportunity to explore the psychological side of sport—focusing on how safeguarding policies are implemented, especially in relation to athletes and dancers, and the impact these policies have. 

Sport has always played a big role in my life. In my free time, I enjoy playing and watching sports casually—particularly running and hockey. Before university, I was a competitive swimmer, so I’ve experienced first-hand how psychological tools like mental imagery can boost motivation and support goal setting. I’ve also seen how coaching styles can directly affect an athlete’s self-belief and performance. 

I’m excited to explore a new sporting context through this project and develop skills that I can carry forward in my journey to becoming a qualified physiotherapist.  

 Image description: Lulu on a boat