Alumni Insider Magazine - Vol. 3, No. 2 - Winter 2018

Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

ALUMNI INSIDER Vol. 3, No. 2, Winter 2018

Linking human, animal and global health PLUS + Students score insight from Leafs + Brock research recognizes red flags of heart disease

The Brock Centre for Lifespan Development Research is a collaborative effort dedicated to studying how people grow and change across their lives. Our research focuses on topics like:

Mental health

Stress & health

Physical health

Brain development

Social-cognitive development

To learn more about our events and products, visit

brocku.ca/lifespan 2

Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

FEATURES

DEAN’S MESSAGE

Faculty News page 4

Leafs staff share industry insight page 7

Alumnus shares One Health concept page 8

Promoting heart health education page 10

Connecting gut health and bone strength page 12

100 years of remembrance page 13

From Brock to Tennis Canada page 14

ALUMNI INSIDER brocku.ca/applied-health-sciences EDITOR: Colleen Patterson COPY EDITOR: Maryanne Firth DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Coderre Design CONTRIBUTORS: Lauryn Carrick, Ana McKnight, Colleen Patterson Special thanks to The Black Watch of Canada Foundation, Katherine Cheeseman and Mackenzie Reid.

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elcome to the sixth edition of the Alumni Insider magazine, which continues to highlight the achievements of our alumni, students and faculty, as well as our interactions with the community at large. We hope to continue to connect with you via this magazine and in numerous other ways including through on-campus alumni days and various events and celebrations.

I am pleased to announce we are developing new graduate programs that we hope to make available soon. The first is a 12-month course and practicumbased Master in Applied Gerontology. This program will train individuals interested in leadership in the wide array of opportunities in serving the seniors community, its needs and associated business and not-for-profit industries. We are also working towards launching a 30-month accelerated program combining a Bachelor and Master of Nursing for students who already have an undergraduate degree. This degree will prepare nurses to move more quickly into administrative and leadership roles upon graduation.

Look for updates on our progress in future editions of the Alumni Insider. – Peter Tiidus Dean, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

We welcome your input. Send letters to the editor, articles or ideas to FAHSComms@brocku.ca Send correspondence to Alumni Insider FAHS Marketing and Communications STH 434, Brock University 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 For advertising inquires, call 905 688 5550 x5342 Alumni Insider

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FACULTY NEWS Brock students to help seniors keep fit through new partnership

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Brock student volunteer Larry Lam helps Irene Savage through a workout at the BrockNiagara Centre for Health and Well-Being.

The Heart Strong and SeniorFit programs run through the centre will be expanded in 2019 at a Niagara Falls development.

hile the quest to stay healthy and fit can come with its challenges at any age, a new set of obstacles tend to appear as people get older.

Health issues creep in, movement gets difficult and flexibility becomes limited.

But through a new commercial partnership, Brock University wants to help Niagara seniors take on those hurdles — and, in the process, study what works to keep them healthy.

The University announced on Sept. 26 it is collaborating with Wellness Suites Condominiums to expand the SeniorFit and Heart Strong programs already offered at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being in St. Catharines. The partnership will see Brock Kinesiology and Health Sciences students guiding senior residents

of the Niagara Falls development through personalized exercise and rehabilitation programs on a path to healthy living.

Currently under construction, the ninestorey Wellness Suites facility includes 97 residential units, a 5,500 square-foot Functional Medicine Centre designed to house Brock’s programs, and numerous other amenities. The $31-million Main Street project is slated for completion in September 2019.

The partnership will provide valuable experiential education opportunities for students who are pursuing careers in rehabilitation, medicine, physiotherapy, kinesiology and other health-care professions, allowing them to develop skills by working in real-life situations.

Brock partners with Hungarian university to enhance exchange opportunities

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rock’s list of international partnerships continues to grow.

The University took another step in strengthening its global connections on Sept. 4 by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Physical Education (UPE) in Budapest, Hungary.

Located in the heart of Europe, in the Carpathian Basin, the UPE campus features 16 sports facilities and laboratories, practiceoriented training programs, and an international coaching course offering training in more than 20 Olympic sports.

The agreement was facilitated by Peter Tiidus, Dean of Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

Similar programming between both institutions, such as Sport Management, Kinesiology, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Physical Education, made this a perfect partnership opportunity for Brock, Tiidus noted.

Over the next five years of the agreement, UPE and Brock will look to develop a number of opportunities for their faculty and students.

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Professor H.C. Lajos Mocsai, Rector, University of Physical Education in Budapest, and Brock University Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus at the signing ceremony in Budapest, Hungary for a new agreement between the two institutions.

FACULTY NEWS Student mural encourages a compassionate Brock

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A new mural meant to normalize conversations of death and grief now hangs in the hallway of Brock’s main campus where Welch Hall and South Block meet.

here’s an eye-catching new piece of artwork on display at Brock’s main campus that is meant to do more than just draw stares.

The colourful creation, found in the hallway where Welch Hall and South Block meet, aims to help normalize death and grief — heavy topics for most people who attempt to broach them.

The mural was the work of a group of recent Brock University Public Health graduates, who made it their final task before saying goodbye to their alma mater. They began work on the project in January 2018 and made sure to have it completed in time to see it hung before students returned in September for the new academic year.

Through Together We Rise (TWR), an Interprofessional Education for Quality Improvement Program (I-EQUIP) initiative, Aiman Ali (BPH ’18) and fellow Public Health grads Alex Munro (BPH ’18), Sarah Perryman (BPH ’18), Gina Del Fabbro (BPH ’18) and Anisha Balaji (BPH ’18) spent their last term at Brock working alongside community partners from Pallium Canada and Hospice Niagara and various facets of the University to create the 12-foot mural.

CIHR funds Health Sciences research

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ack of exercise, poor diet, obesity, smoking and high blood pressure are some of the known factors that lead to heart attacks down the road. But does a toxic childhood environment also lead to heart disease?

With Project Grant funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced on July 12, a Brock University-led research team is studying the relationship between early indicators of cardiovascular disease in young adults

and adverse childhood experiences such as maltreatment, dysfunctional family life, severe bullying and other traumas.

Professor of Health Sciences Terrance Wade says his six-member group, which includes co-investigators Deborah O’Leary and Adam MacNeil, is breaking new ground.

“We’re finding that traditional factors for cardiovascular disease, such as lifestyle and behaviours, are not explaining this relationship,” says Wade. “We’re thinking it’s more of a link between young adults’ psychosocial mechanisms and their physiologies.”

This latest CIHR award will enable the researchers to expand the number of participants from the pilot study to take a close look at how both inflammation and psychosocial factors such as selfesteem, resilience, depression, anxiety and others lay the groundwork for pre-clinical indicators of heart disease.

From left, Professor of Health Sciences Terrance Wade, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Karen Patte and Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Adam MacNeil are among Brock researchers on two projects recently funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Alumni Insider

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FACULTY NEWS Brock research says walking is an ideal activity for people with osteoporosis

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Paula Gardner.

Integrating meditation into the classroom

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ealth Sciences Associate Professor Paula Gardner didn’t set out to incorporate mindfulness into her teaching practices. Rather, she stumbled onto it after a particularly frantic commute through New York City.

“With my heart racing, mind spinning, sweat dripping down my back and 60 undergraduate students staring at me on my first day of class as a new teacher, I thought to myself, I need a minute,” recalls Gardner.

To take the time she needed, Gardner found herself guiding the entire class through yoga breathing techniques she had recently learned. This began the practice of beginning all of her classes with meditation.

“There is a mental health crisis on university campuses across Canada, as students and faculty struggle to balance the many demands of academic life,” says Gardner. “While there are increased efforts to support those in crisis, there is a growing need for preventative approaches that build resilience and positive mental health among the campus community.”

Through her research and the practice of beginning each class with a short meditation, Gardner is finding the classroom environment has become more enhanced.

“We often arrive in our classrooms in chaos and what the meditation practice serves to do is really bring all of us, myself included, into the classroom and remind us what we are trying to do,” says Gardner.

For her innovative teaching practices, Paula Gardner is the recipient of the 2018 Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

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rock University Kinesiology Professor Philip Wilson has some simple but effective advice for those living with osteoporosis: lace up your shoes and get walking.

Osteoporosis is a disease affecting one in four women and one in eight men over the age of 50 that causes chronic loss of bone density and deterioration of bone tissue.

New Brock research has found that walking is the most preferred physical activity of people who have the disease, in addition to Philip Wilson. being an ideal form of exercise for them.

“Research has clearly demonstrated that for people who live with osteoporosis, physical activity confers a host of benefits,” says Wilson.

Among the benefits are better fitness, weight loss, improved strength and a better quality of life.

“There’s also a substantial level of bone integrity when combined with the right medications,” he says.

While this fact is widely known, health-care initiatives have tended to offer people living with osteoporosis exercise programs such as aerobics classes, weight training or sports events, activities that rate very low on peoples’ preferences.

“The literature in the motivational area is very clear: people tend to do what they prefer to do, and they tend to shy away from things that they don’t like to do,” he says.

Wilson says this research yields valuable clues for health care professionals designing exercise programs for people living with osteoporosis.

“The biggest recommendation is, if you want to get, or keep, these people active, you might want to start developing walking programs because it seems to be that is what this cohort is telling us they want to do.”

Walking has many benefits: it’s low-budget; can be done at any time; doesn’t require specialized equipment or space; and is typically a low impact form of exercise. Similar studies have shown that people living with cancer and cardiac diseases also identify walking as their top choice for exercise.

For his more than two decades of motivation research, Kinesiology Professor Philip Wilson is the recipient of the 2018 Research Excellence Award from the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

Toronto Maple Leafs In-game host Danielle Emanuele and General Manager Kyle Dubas take questions during a Sept. 20 Speakers Forum for Brock University Sport Management students. Below, Dubas meets with Sport Management Student Council President David Stark.

Students score industry insight at Toronto Maple Leafs camp

By COLLEEN PATTERSON

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he Toronto Maple Leafs offered Brock Sport Management students a rare behind-the-bench experience they will never forget.

Representatives from the fan-favourite team, including General Manager and Brock Alumnus Kyle Dubas (BSM ’07), gave 250 SPMA students insight into the franchise during an exclusive Speakers Forum held Sept. 15 at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls.

Dubas is among several notable Brock alumni who have returned to campus through the years to inspire the next generation. The forum, however, was particularly unique as it allowed students to see the successful grad in his element.

Students had the opportunity to hear from and participate in a question-andanswer session with Dubas; Toronto Maple Leafs In-game host Danielle Emanuele; Toronto Maple Leafs Director of Client Services, Event Experience Team Duncan Fraser; and Toronto Maple Leafs alumni and NHL Broadcaster Brad May.

“Kyle and the rest of the speakers shared their personal and professional insights into the industry and how working in sport can be both rewarding and exhilarating at the same time,” says Sport Management Student Council President David Stark.

“We need to make sure we are dedicating our time right now for our future.”

– David Stark, Sport Management Student Council President

“I think the biggest message I got from the speakers is that as students, we need to make sure we are dedicating our time right now for our future,” he says. “It won’t come easy and we need to seek out experiences. This means being involved and being mindful of who we surround ourselves with.”

Dubas said the opportunity to share his personal perspective and field questions from Brock students is “always a great experience.”

“I hope the students were able to come away with something of value, as their questions and curiosity certainly challenged me and pushed me to continue to improve our process here with the Maple Leafs,” he said.

The Toronto Maple Leafs held their 2018-19 training camp for the second year at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls from Sept. 14 to 16. Fans of all ages came out to watch the players prepare for the season.

Colleen Patterson is the Marketing and Communications Officer for the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University.

Alumni Insider

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Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre owner and Director Dr. Ronald Mergl (MSc ’10) examines Thomasite, the hospital’s resident cat.

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Brock alumnus raising awareness of One Health concept

By COLLEEN PATTERSON

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verything is connected. To find sustainable health solutions for the planet, problems affecting the entire ecosystem must be addressed.

It was this concept, known as One Health, that prompted Dr. Ronald Mergl to enrol in Brock’s Master of Science program 11 years ago. Raising awareness of One Health and zoonotic diseases has remained the focus of the Niagara Falls veterinarian ever since.

“I’m a firm believer that the health of all humans is inextricably tied to the health of all animals and to the health of our environment,” Mergl says. “The One Health concept means that people and animals will have a sustainable and healthy future, only if our environment is clean, robust and nourishing.”

Through the study of zoonotic diseases, — disorders that can be passed from animals to humans — Mergl gained an enhanced understanding of the actions communities need to start taking to prevent global health disasters.

“Many of the newly emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic,” Mergl explains.

“As urban Canadians, we tend to think of veterinary medicine in the context of the health of the family pet as impacting our emotional and even physical wellbeing, but globally, there are a number of factors that lead to an increased rate of transmission of diseases.”

These conditions include: • people and animals living in closer proximity than ever before • deteriorating environmental conditions, which can accelerate the spread of a disease through the animal kingdom and facilitate transmission to humans

• accelerated global travel and trade, which enables pathogens to be spread with astonishing speeds Mergl has dedicated seven years to international volunteer work. During this time, he was actively involved with Veterinarians Without Borders Canada, working in the African nation of Malawi to prevent rabies transmission. He is also past Chair of the Rotary Human Rabies Prevention Project in Uganda, a community-based initiative that took place over five years.

“I believe the health of all humans is inextricably tied to the health of all animals and to the health of our environment” – Dr. Ronald Mergl, Veterinarian

“Transmission of avian influenza, rabies, salmonella, West Nile virus, Lyme disease and SARS are only a few examples of the diseases transmitted from animals harbouring the disease to people,” Mergl says. “In developed countries, it has become common knowledge that transmission is influenced by the health of the environment in which animals live, yet we are too often confronted with the lack of political will to sufficiently address our global environment and climate change.”

Despite the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to address poverty, hunger, clean water, education, health, the environment, gender equality, peace,

and stable economics, Mergl points out that “antibiotic resistance has become one of the frontline health problems we have today in both human and animal health.”

“Overuse of antibiotics in food-producing animals has contributed to this problem,” Mergl explains. “Raising animals in appropriate living conditions, with reduced antibiotic use and alternative therapies, is really the best way to address the control of pathogens.”

Without a healthy global environment, Mergl believes resilience cannot be built to address adverse health events.

“Never before has a generation of people possessed the technology and knowledge to truly fix the environmental health crisis that faces us,” he says. “Only through collaboration of health professionals of all disciplines and environmental scientists, as well as the governing bodies of all countries, can we gain the knowledge and develop actions to prevent global health disasters.”

Mergl is calling on all citizens to become more educated and involved. “By respecting the culture and basic rights of all people, paying attention to domestic and wild animal welfare and protecting our environment, we can improve the health of all.”

Dr. Mergl completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1985 from the Ontario Veterinary College and has been practicing small animal medicine in Niagara Falls for 33 years. He is the owner and Hospital Director of the Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre. He completed his MSc in Health Sciences from Brock University in 2010. Dr. Mergl currently serves on the Board of Directors for Niagara Health and is Vice-Chair of its Quality Committee.

Alumni Insider

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Nursing prof launches heart health education resources

From left, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Research, University of New Brunswick Lisa Keeping-Burke, Brock Department of Nursing Assistant Professor Sheila O’Keefe-McCarthy and Department of Nursing Associate Professor Karyn Taplay hold crochet hearts that were given as gifts to the investigators in the Heart Innovation Research Program as a way to express the learning preferences of women that came across in the project’s data.

By COLLEEN PATTERSON

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hortness of breath. Dizziness. Tightness in the chest.

When these symptoms arrive irregularly and in isolation, they often get shrugged off and ultimately go untreated.

But Sheila O’Keefe-McCarthy is working to better inform the public of what these health incidents could mean.

“Imagine experiencing unusual symptoms at unexpected times that come and go with such irregularity you regard them as only odd and do not recognize them as warning signs related to poor heart health,” says O’Keefe-McCarthy, Assistant Professor in Brock’s Department of Nursing.

Many individuals who have suffered a heart attack look back on symptoms they have experienced, not realizing they should have raised red flags.

In response, O’Keefe-McCarthy has now launched a Heart Health Education Resource website and mobile app, a first of its kind series of resources intended to educate women and men on the early warning signs of heart disease.

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“Lack of recognition of cardiac-related warning signs are a very common occurrence,” says O’Keefe-McCarthy. “One woman shared with me that a few months before her heart attack she started to experience an unexplained shortness of breath when she was walking, but it only lasted a few minutes and then stopped.”

“Seemingly short and isolated incidents are symptoms of an unhealthy heart.”

– Dr. Sheila O’Keefe McCarthy

The woman described two more incidents with the same breathlessness, but started to have other symptoms with it as well.

“She suddenly became dizzy and had the same shortness of breath, only this time there was tightness in her chest. Then it went away,” O’Keefe-McCarthy recalls.

Many women who experience similar episodes do not seek medical advice.

“Unfortunately, this woman continued to have frequent symptoms for about two weeks before her cardiac event,” O’KeefeMcCarthy says. “She described having a massive blinding headache that came out of nowhere and lasted only minutes; this happened again 24 hours later, except the pain lasted longer, about 20 minutes.”

Each of these events was totally unexpected and happened during normal, everyday activities. The next day she had a heart attack.

This is one example of the kinds of participant stories that capture individual experiences of what they now realize were the early warning signs leading up to a heart attack within O’Keefe-McCarthy’s Heart Innovation Research Program.

“One participant told me she knew in the back of her head for the last couple of months that something was wrong, but didn’t seek medical attention because it didn’t last,” shares O’Keefe-McCarthy.

“This is reflective of many people’s heart attack experience. These seemingly short and isolated incidents are symptoms of an unhealthy heart.”

Do you know the early warning signs of developing heart disease? nausea, heartburn or indigestion

dizziness or light headedness

pins & needles, prickling or numbness

shortness of breath unexpected

headaches

difficulty falling or staying asleep

unusual

sweating

chest discomfort

new or unexpected

anxiety

such as tightness or pain unusual

hot & cold sensations

aches & pains in unexpected places

fatigue

changes in your

heartbeat

Prodromal-Infographic-1-v3.indd 6

O’Keefe-McCarthy has heard this type of scenario hundreds of times before, both in her research and as a critical care nurse for more than 25 years.

Her new website is the culmination of two years of research and community engagement funded by the Women’s Xchange initiative and is designed to be an educational intervention that women and men with cardiac disease, community health advocates and health-care professionals can utilize.

Development of the website’s multimedia education strategy was created with heart attack survivors and partner organizations including Heart Niagara, the Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses to help support knowledge exchange in the community.

For information on the products and resources available visit sokeefemccarthy.ca/resources

2018-05-01 1:19 PM

PRESIDENT’S GOLF CLASSIC presented by Rankin Construction

SAVE THE DATE

Monday, May 27, 2019 St. Catharines Golf and Country Club

Learn more about The President’s Golf Classic at brocku.ca/president/golf-classic Alumni Insider

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PhD student Kirsten Bott (BSc ’14, MSc ’17).

Exploring the connection between gut health and bone strength

By LAURYN CARRICK

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substantial scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council will allow Brock PhD student Kirsten Bott to delve deep into the relationship between gut flora and overall musculoskeletal health.

The Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (FAHS) student will continue her research with the help of a prestigious Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship worth $70,000 over the next two years. The funding is provided through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

“Over the past 20 years, there has been a lot of research done on the trillions of microorganisms living in our guts called microbiota,” says Bott. “We know that they play a large role in our overall health. Everything from the brain to the cardiovascular system is affected by gut microbiota. I am interested in expanding

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the research on how gut microbiota specifically affects bone and muscle structure and metabolism.”

It is already known that an unhealthy gut produces higher levels of toxins that cause low-grade inflammation in the body, Bott explains.

“The inflammation has a negative effect on bone and muscle function,” she says. “I am hoping to show that exercise can favourably alter gut microbiota and therefore reduce the low-grade inflammation in the body.”

Wendy Ward, one of Bott’s co-supervisors, emphasizes the importance of Bott’s work.

“Low-grade inflammation is a threat to the musculoskeletal system and can contribute to a weakening of the skeleton, making an individual more prone to fracture.

Lifestyle factors including a poor diet and sedentary behaviour may contribute to low-grade inflammation and are also known to impact both gut microbiota and the skeleton,” Ward says. “Kirsten’s research will provide novel insights into

these associations and also consider how changes in lifestyle, specifically exercise, can be used as a potential solution to prevent or attenuate the negative impact of inflammation.”

This year’s Brock FAHS NSERC recipients also include: NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s • Grant Hayward, Applied Health Sciences — “Investigating the role of estrogen on insulin signalling and amyloid-B production in the brain.”

NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral • Michael Yousef, Applied Health Sciences — “Effects of Rosemary Polyphenolic Components on FceRI Mast-Cell Signalling.”

Lauryn Carrick is the Communications, Marketing and Recruitment Co-ordinator for Graduate Studies at Brock University.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Brock student marks 100 years of remembrance in Belgium

By COLLEEN PATTERSON

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hortly after the armistice came into effect at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918 to end the First World War, the Canadian Pipes and Drums’ 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders marched into Mons, Belgium announcing to the citizens that they had been liberated from four and a half years of German occupation.

On the 100th anniversary of that historic event, a Brock University student and retired Canadian Forces member was a part of a re-enactment matching the exact route marched by Canadians a century earlier.

Cpl. (retired) Kieran Boyle, Drum Major for the Black Watch Association Pipes and Drums and a second-year Brock Sport Management student, took part in the re-enactment.

“As a Canadian and a veteran, this was an important moment in history to recognize,” said Boyle. “It was Canadian troops who liberated the town of Mons, restored telephone communications and were the first to meet with citizens who came out of hiding to rejoice.”

Boyle, who was just 17 years old when he joined the Canadian Forces, wore a 1918 period uniform and an identity disk representing Canadian drummer David Balfour, who was one of the original 42nd Battalion Pipe Band members who marched into Mons.

Boyle said his family has a long history of military service, and he wanted to continue that tradition.

In 1985, after being sworn in, Boyle went to Valcartier for infantry training, before serving with the Black Watch Royal Regiment of Canada, based out of Montreal until 1999. He also became an infantry medic for the regiment and a drummer, which allowed him to travel with the pipe band to various countries in the Commonwealth Nations.

At left, Brock University Sport Management student Kieran Boyle, a Drum Major with the Black Watch Association Pipes and Drums, marches in the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal. At right, drummer David Balfour is pictured after the First World War 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums marched into Mons, Belgium as the first group after the Armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918.

Historically, being a drummer and piper for the military is a position that holds respect and responsibility.

“In the First World War, before the battles started, the piper was the first one to get out on the trench to motivate the soldiers not to be afraid,” Boyle said. “Sadly, this also meant the piper was one of the first to be killed.”

While in Europe, the 42nd Battalion Pipe Band participated in a ceremony in Ypres, Belgium at the Menin Gate Memorial, which bears the names of more than 54,000 soldiers who died and have no known grave. The Canadian Battalion also attended the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France.

EXPERIENCE. MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL KINESIOLOGY. COME BACK TO BROCK. For more information visit

brocku.ca/nextstep Alumni Insider

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SPMA alumna named Tennis Canada Ambassador

By ANA MCKNIGHT

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rock alumna Gillian Cruz (BSM ’09) has always described herself as ultra-competitive.

She began playing soccer and hockey at the age of three, but it wasn’t until her early 20s that she discovered her passion for tennis.

But as her athletic career began to take off, Cruz experienced a road block.

She began experiencing unusual tingling in her hands, which she initially dismissed as an old injury. When the pain didn’t go away, she went for a routine checkup and follow-up MRI. At age 23, the Grimsby native was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) — an incurable, progressive disease that involves an abnormal response of the body’s immune system against the central nervous system.

“My family and I didn’t know much about MS and for the first few days after my diagnosis, I just went on pretending that everything was fine,” Cruz said.

While she tried to keep playing tennis, she eventually had to give up the sport completely.

Sidelined, she began therapy to help regain control of her hands in hopes of someday hitting the court again.

But within a few years, her condition worsened.

Her legs started to buckle and her fine motor skills deteriorated even further, forcing her to stop working, driving and walking.

Instead, she was forced to rely on a wheelchair.

“It was the darkest time in my life and I remember feeling resentment and jealousy toward others who took simple things like walking and driving for granted,” Cruz explained.

While she found adapting to life in a wheelchair unfamiliar and challenging, she was determined it would not prevent her from doing the things she loved.

“I experienced very difficult days and emotions,” Cruz said. “But my illness taught me that if there is something I really want to do in life but can’t the way I used to, it doesn’t mean I’m incapable, I just need to find another way.”

And that’s just what she did.

With the help of family and friends at the Grimsby Tennis Club, a GoFundMe page was started to help Cruz purchase a sport wheelchair. The specialized piece of equipment was lighter than most wheelchairs and had slanted wheels to provide more stability and allow for quicker turns.

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Brock alumna Gillian Cruz, centre, husband Joel Cruz and son Landon Cruz get ready to hit the tennis court together.

With the new set of wheels and the support of the Aldershot Tennis Club in Burlington and Niagara Academy of Tennis, she got back on the court.

“As an athlete, the very last thing I wanted was to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” said Cruz, “but playing tennis independently again after being sidelined for five years was very empowering.”

With renewed determination and the help of her husband, who is also her coach, Cruz learned how to play tennis in a wheelchair.

She now competes in matches and tournaments around the world and serves as an ambassador for the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association.

In April 2018, Cruz also became involved with Tennis Canada helping to advocate for the adapted version of the sport that helped her regain her competitive spirit.

“I wanted to bring awareness to the sport that changed my life and empower others in similar circumstances,” Cruz said. “Life doesn’t end in a wheelchair. If anything, it has given me more of my life back because now I can play a highly competitive sport again and be a role model to my son and others.”

In April 2018, Cruz became the second Brock University Sport Management alumni to be named a National Ambassador at Tennis Canada for raising awareness about wheelchair tennis. Paralympian Joel Dembe (BSM ’07), who was training at the Niagara Academy of Sports in Vineland while he was a Brock student, became a National Ambassador at Tennis Canada in January 2016.

To learn more about Cruz’s journey visit her blog at braverthanyourbattle.com Ana McKnight was the former Interim Communications Officer for Alumni Relations at Brock University.

SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE We asked our large and accomplished alumni family what advice they would give to new graduates. Here are their words of wisdom.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable Challenge yourself “If you are the most intelligent person in the room, you are in the wrong room. Surround yourself with people who challenge you personally and professionally. Growth occurs when we put ourselves in situations that take us outside of our comfort zone. Find others that share elements of your passion and stay connected. Challenge facilitates greatness.”

– Jeff Aird (BPhEd ’03), Owner and Director Health Services, Niagara Orthopaedic Institute

“ • Don’t sweat the small stuff • • • •

• • • •

From an old grad to new grads…

Never lower your standards Hold on to your integrity at all costs Aspire to excellence Stack the chairs and sweep the floor when it’s necessary regardless of your title Under promise, over deliver When you do deliver, do it on time, on budget and with class Always treat support with the utmost respect And when in another city, province, country or culture, don’t complain.”

– Bill Bean (BPhEd ’79), President and CEO, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences, Centre Foundation

“If you are unsure of your path, take time to explore your interests and let your career aspirations guide you. You will find the skills you learned during your time at Brock are applicable in many areas of the employment world. With an open mind, you will find your passion and have many challenging and fulfilling experiences along the way that will shape you into the leader, manager or facilitator you strive to be.”

– Andrew Bates (BRLS ’07), Conestoga College, Manager, Athletics and Recreation

Do you have advice or a story idea you want to share?

Email FAHSComms@brocku.ca or for more information, visit brocku.ca/applied-healthsciences/alumni

EXPERIENCE. MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH. COME BACK TO BROCK. For more information visit

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Your connection to Brock University does not end with graduation.

ALUMNI PERKS: Alumni events and activities that keep you connected to your alma mater Access to online networking to grow your professional and career circle Off-campus discounts on leisure activities, and health, dental, home and auto insurance

The Brock University Alumni Association invites you to explore the many ways you can stay connected to your alma mater.

Find out more at

brocku.ca/alumni 16

Faculty of Applied Health Sciences

KEEP IN TOUCH: Update your contact information online to stay up-to-date on alumni news and events.

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brockalumni @brockualumni @brockualumni Brock University Alumni