Paralympic medallist inspires next generation on return to College

A Paralympic medallist and former World & European Para triathlete Champion, is helping to inspire the next generation of sports scientists in Cornwall.

Sport students at Cornwall College Camborne welcomed back alumni, Melissa Reid, who undertook exercise physiology testing with the group.

Assisted by Melissa, students carried out a VO2 max ramp test on the Watt Bike Pro. They collated physiological data to be used as part of their exercise physiology assignment.

“It was great to come back and get some physiological testing so close to home,” Melissa said.

“It was even better to be tested by the students, especially as I used to study at the College.”

BSc Sport Health & Exercise Science student, Amanda Tredinnick, said it was a great “opportunity to work with Melissa”.

“It gave us a real opportunity to work with a current champion and elite athlete and analyse their data as part of our BSc Sport Exercise Physiology module,” she explained.

“This type of testing allows us to assess the athletes’ cardiorespiratory limitations and exercise performance, which can help identify current fitness levels, evaluate the athletes’ strengths and weaknesses and aid future development of training programmes.”

BSc Sport Health & Exercise Science student, Kimberley Haylett, said having the opportunity to test an elite athlete was “a huge privilege”.

“It gave us an opportunity to see how athletes’ fitness levels compare to a standard individuals fitness levels, including their recovery time,” she explained.

“As my aim of this degree is to go into cardia physiology I found this testing very interesting.”

Curriculum Area Manager for Sport at Cornwall College Camborne, Louise Fletcher, said the sports science laboratory offers a full range of tests, including muscle mass and body fat tests as well as VO2 max tests to identify your optimum training zones.

“Having the pleasure of welcoming Melissa onto campus for testing provided an exciting opportunity for students to learn first-hand about the science of sport and how it is applied to elite athletes,” she added.

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