KINNECTION 2022 by USask Kinesiology

USASK COLLEGE OF KINESIOLOGY MAGAZINE 2022 CIANNA LIEFFERS officiates hockey at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Full story on page 10.

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Publication Date Fall 2022 Published by the College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan Cover photo: Submitted by Cianna Lieffers

Dr.16Chad London bodes farewell Dr. Chad London will be stepping down as dean effective December 31, 2022.

Huskie23

9KinesiologystudentnamedtoRacquetballCanada'sPanAmTeam

See how we've made progress on the goals of our Strategic Plan 2025.

Orange20 You Ready? An educational communiy learning process.

(BA)PE25 '71 and '72 class reunion Graduates from the class of 1971 and 1972 made there way back to campus in June 2022.

KINNECTION 2022 · College of Kinesiology 3 Editor Alyssa Wiebe, Communications and Advancement Officer College of Kinesiology

of the College Award Winner

Contact College of Kinesiology University of Saskatchewan 87 Campus Drive Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B2 Phone: 306-966-1001

selected in the 2022 CFL Draft Kinesiology student, Noah Zerr was selected in the second round, with the 12th pick by the BC Lions.

Zerr10

Read more on this year’s recipients, Dr. Marlys Misfeldt

Women's24 health top of mind for Reimer Kinesiology alumna, Myranda Reimer (BSKI'14) takes a closer look at pelvic care.

12Empowerment

Friend13

USask18

Kin14

Dean's4 message Dr. Chad London. KIN5

Prof says extreme cold can be ideal for exercise Dr. Phil Chilibeck practices what he teaches while exercising in the cold.

Pacs Fourth year student, Topaza Yu, is helping address local barriers to access of menstrual products in Saskatchewan.

studentathlete ready to compete for Canada Nicole Osterag is a rising track and field star getting ready to compete for Canada

alumna graduate officiates Olympic Games. It is a dream come true for Cianna Lieffers.

Diving26 into the Saskatoon Hall of Fame Ron Friesen (BA)PE'71 is having his name called to the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame after a successful diving career.

CONTENTS

Year In Review

Try-Sport6 League launched by postdoc fellow Giving inner city kids the chance at sport

KINNECTION 2022 · College of Kinesiology4

DEAN'S

This edition of KINNECTION highlights a number of remarkable achievements by our students and alumni. From a Physiotherapist focusing on women’s health, to athletic successes in track and field, football and racquetball, to some amazing coaches, to our cover story about alumna Cianna Lieffers at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. We hope that you enjoy all of these inspiring Communitystories. engagement is critical for the College and this issue showcases two great examples from this past year. First, Dr. Kenzie Friesen’s innovative Try-Sport League showed how sport and its many benefits can be made accessible for kids who may not have the resources to participate in traditional offerings. You can also read about fourth year kinesiology student Topaza Yu’s efforts to address accessibility barriers to women’s reproductive health products and information in Saskatoon. Again, some inspiring Researchersstories.in the College continued to have success this past year with major projects receiving funding from federal government agencies such as Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, from national organizations such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Diabetes Canada, from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and from industry partners such as the Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Egg Farmers of Canada. Over the summer I had the privilege of welcoming the Classes of 71/72 as part of their 50-year reunion event. It was great to talk with them; getting a glimpse into the College’s past and learning about their amazing life stories. During our tour of the PAC, many alumni commented on the exciting opportunities that are now available to our students. In this issue, you can read up on the reunion and on one of the members of that class, Ron Friesen, who was recently inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Finally,Fame.

It has been another interesting year for the College of Kinesiology! Once again, we navigated through various challenges offered by the COVID-19 pandemic. As can been seen in this issue of KINNECTION, we had many successes along the way. Our enrollment has continued to grow and because of our wonderful instructors and staff, we were able to offer courses and supports in a variety of formats over the year to create a safe and productive learning environment for our students. This year we also took some action on reconciliation, celebrated student and alumni achievements, engaged with our community and continued our research Thesuccess.discoveries of unmarked graves at a number of former residential school sites this past year was yet another motivator for the College to continue to look for ways to promote and actively participate in reconciliation. This year, the College offered the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation program to our students, staff and faculty. The program is based on a series of modules developed in partnership with First Nations University of Canada. The College facilitated several group sessions each term allowing participants to reflect on and discuss what they read and watched in the modules. This program was well received and was a good step towards helping people discover truth. Additionally, the College, in partnership with the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning, also piloted a unique active reconciliation program this year called “Orange You Ready?” which you can read about in this issue.

on behalf of the College of Kinesiology, I would like to extend a warm thank you to Dr. Chad London for his service and leadership as our Dean these past six years. Chad is moving on to a new leadership role at Mount Royal University and we wish him all the best. A lot has been accomplished during Chad’s tenure and he leaves the College well positioned to take on any challenges and new opportunities that await us.

- Dr. Joel Lanovaz, Interim Dean

MESSAGE

IMPACT

USask Rec & HPC launched a partnership with City of Saskatoon Fire department for new recruit testing. Launched the new USask Rec App with over downloads.5,000 Hosted the (BA)PE Class of ‘71 & ‘72 reunion.

KIN

11 major research grants from national, provincial and industry sources awarded to kinesiology faculty. Launched the 2022 College of Kinesiology Research Showcase. A partnership between the College of Kinesiology Graduate Student Society and the College of Kinesiology. Piloted the Orange You Ready Program with the GMCTL. Facilitated the 4 seasons reconciliationof program for staff, faculty, and students in the college. FOR

Last year we made significant progress towards achieving the goals of our five-year plan. Here is how we did it.

2021-2022 COLLEGE OF KINESIOLOGY YEAR IN REVIEW DEVELOP SCHOLARS AND LEARNERS753 4

Successfully ran 3 LIFE events for the only colleges to offer supportIN-PERSONfullforstudents.

fellowspost-doctoralgraduate43fromstudentsundergraduateup7.3%2021.students.providedbothin-personandvirtuallearningopportunities. COMMITMENT RECONCILIATIONTO ENGAGE COMMUNITYWITH 10% enrolment.Indigenousself-declaredstudent SEEK DISCOVERY

SHHRC funded project in partnership with Huskie Athletics to create physical activity and sport opportunities for Indigenous girls on and off reserve.

students.Oneof

Dr. Kenzie Friesen (PhD), a post-doctoral fellow in USask’s College of Kinesiology, started the Try-Sport League in 2021. (Photo: Louis Christ) Photo submitted by Michelle Keene.

Try-Sport League launched by kinesiology post-doc fellow in

Each one-hour session included a warm-up and practice portion, followed by a game against one of the other teams. The coach was provided with the equipment and T-shirts for each participant.

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Many inner city kids miss out on the opportunity to try multiple sports, if any, every year in Saskatchewan. A University of Saskatchewan (USask) kinesiology postdoctoral fellow saw an opportunity to focus her research and funding to help provide opportunities to inner city youth by launching the Try-Sport Dr.League.Kenzie

Friesen (PhD), a post-doctoral fellow in USask’s College of Kinesiology, started the Try-Sport League to offer an opportunity—free of charge—for youth ages 8-11. The league name was chosen by Friesen to reflect that participants were able to try out multiple sports over the summer.

For the duration of six weeks, each participant was assigned to a team with a coach. The teams were able to chose a name, build team spirit, and foster camaraderie as they moved through each sport experience.

ALYSSA WIEBE, COLLEGE OF KINESIOLOGY

SaskatoonALUMNISTORY

“I played a lot of sports growing up, but I realize how lucky I was to be able to do that,” said Friesen. “Sport is expensive, and nowadays there is this ‘early professionalization’ of youth sport, where young sports leagues require steep financial costs and unreasonably busy practice/game schedules. If the current sporting infrastructure norms were this way back when I was playing sport, I would not have been able to compete in nearly as many Friesensports.”explained that research shows the many physical, emotional, and social advantages to being able to sample multiple sports. Besides losing out on the benefits of sport sampling, the current sporting infrastructure makes it extremely difficult for kids from lower-income households to participate altogether, as they require too much time and too much money. This program was dedicated to those who are traditionally left out from sport or who do not have the resources or funds to participate.

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“I recognized the countless benefits associated with participating in team sports as a kid and I felt empowered to support a program that made these benefits accessible to all, especially those who maybe couldn’t afford to play sports otherwise,” said Verity. “The most rewarding part was seeing how much the players improved from start to finish. The first session of every new sport was always a bit challenging trying to explain the rules and skills associated with that specific sport, but by the final sessions, it was amazing to see the players engaging in the game as if they’d been training for weeks, not just a matter of Friesendays.”

Aside from having the community support for space, other partners stepped in to donate or sponsor equipment, such as SportChek, the Saskatoon 4H Club, Al Anderson’s Source for Sports, Saskatoon Parks, as well as friends and family.

A program of this type runs on support from donors and volunteers. Third-year kinesiology student Hannah Verity volunteered for this program because team sports were a huge part of her childhood. She wanted to pay forward all of the time and energy her coaches devoted to her development as a player.

noted that the participants loved the program and the parents were overwhelmed with the skill of the volunteer coaches, the organization, and the snacks offered.

Creating a league of this type requires financial and community support. As the lead, Friesen came up with the concept design, applied for and obtained the funding, and organized all activities. She applied for a grant through the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program and also credits the league’s partner charity, Westmount Community Association. All activities were held at Scott Park in the Westmount Community area. “We offered the program in Saskatoon, but the hope is to incorporate it in more communities as we found it to be great, affordable, and a feasible way to have kids with less opportunities access multiple sports,” said Friesen.

“It is wonderful that the kids who don’t have cabins and lake getaways get some physical activity, fun with other kids and some time away from electronics,” said a parent of a participant.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Kinesiology student named to Racquetball Canada’s Pan American Championship Team

Prentice has had many influencers throughout her career, but none as big as her brother, Tanner. From an early on encouragement on the court to becoming her biggest cheerleader off it, family has been her biggest inspiration throughout the years.

Prentice is a third-year kinesiology student and trains once a week at the Physical Activity Complex with other Team Canada members and her coach, Tim Landeryou. On her days off, you can find her practicing solo on the courts between classes and homework. “My studies through the College of Kinesiology have helped me prepare as an athlete by enhancing my time management skills to train for racquetball. There are several aspects of classes that I have been able to apply to my training to make sure I am getting the greatest benefits from the different programs I complete.”

“ISeptember.amexcited to be competing in my first Pan Am Championships! I have played on the world stage for Canada as a junior and I’m happy to continue my journey fulfilling my dreams as a Team Canada athlete.”

“I just want to thank all of my friends and family who have been there to support me throughout my journey of fulfilling my Team Canada dreams.”

This will be Prentice's first elite international tournament with Team Canada. As a junior athlete, she competed for Canada at five Junior World Championship events, winning silver in 2018 in doubles. She also recently won gold in women's open doubles at the Canadian Championships held this past

Prentice will join six other teammates, both male and female, from across Canada in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia in April 2022. The team was selected based on results of national events held throughout the season. CovidPacs are care packages that contain Prentice was introduced to the sport at just five years old because her uncle owned RiverRacquet. She watched her brother, Tanner Prentice, enjoy the sport and it didn’t take long for her to follow suit.

“My favourite thing about racquetball is definitely the adrenaline felt within the competitive environment of the sport,” said Prentice. “However, I also love the familylike community aspect of the sport and the opportunities to travel the world while representing my country.”

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Noah Zerr selected in the 2022 CFL draft. Zerr, was selected in the second round, with pick 12 and has also accepted an invite to the New York Giants Rookie Mini-Camp.

UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS STUDENT STORY

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Zerr didn’t have to wait too long to hear his name called on draft night as he was selected in the second round, 12th overall by the BC Lions. Zerr became the seventh Huskies offensive lineman since 2010 to be selected in the CFL Draft and fifth in the first three rounds.

“At the end of it, you just want that opportunity and for him going to a good spot there and then being coached by an alumnus in Kelly Bates out there, who is the offensive line coach is a great thing too. I don't know how much Kelly had in the draft, but I don't doubt that there's a little bit of influence there.”

The Zerr selection comes after it was announced earlier in the day that he had accepted to New York Giants rookie mini-camp.

Photo: Jean-Baptiste Benavent

Noah Zerr, was selected in the second round, with pick 12 by the BC Lions and also accepted an invite to the New York Giants Rookie Mini-Camp.

72 Huskies have been selected in the history of the CFL Draft in the history of the modern era draft, as Nathan Cherry, Noah Zerr and Riley Pickett all etched their names into the program's record books on Tuesday night, after all three were selected by the BC Lions in the 2022 CFL Draft. The three selections marked the first time since 1989 that three Huskies were selected to one team in the same CFL NoahDraft. Zerr is a fourth-year kinesiology student from Langenburg, Saskatchewan.

“It's going be a really good spot for him. I know that they'll develop them and they'll get him ready to play at the CFL level,” said Flory.

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The mission of Empowerment Pacs is to provide accessible and free menstrual products and SRHR resources to post-secondary students at the University of Saskatchewan. These packages can be picked up free of charge at the Women’s Centre and the student lounge in the College of TheKinesiology.project is part of Oxfam Canada and their Her Future Her Choice Financial Support for Community-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Initiative, that is funded by Global Affairs Canada. The initiative is part of the five-year Her Future Her Choice program, which aspires to support sexual and reproductive health and rights in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Canada.

Empowerment Pacs are care-packages containing ethically made menstrual products. Each pack contains one menstrual cup, one box each of tampons, pads, and panty liners, and a comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) booklet. The booklet discusses basic contraceptive care and includes a list of websites that people can refer to for youth-friendly SRHR resources.

“The negative impacts of period poverty disproportionally affect postsecondary students especially students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds like sexual minorities, people with disabilities, and visible minorities,” said Yu.

Fourth year kinesiology student, Topaza Yu, is helping local Saskatoon organizations to address barriers to access of menstrual products and SRHR healthcare.

“I wanted my impact in creating a more accessible, inclusive, equitable world to be in the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) sector. Through my experiences in the SRHR sector and with the NYAB, I have learnt the disheartening reality of period poverty”, said Yu.

Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products, toilets, handwashing facilities, proper waste management, and menstrual hygiene education. It is caused by the cultural shame attached to menstruation and a lack of access to menstrual resources.

Empowerment Pacs and the student behind the initiative WIEBE | KINESIOLOGY

STUDENT STORY ALYSSA

Photography: Gord Waldner

The development of Empowerment Pacs first started with Yu applying to Oxfam Canada for a $5000 grant with a goal of producing 100 care packages to distribute to students at the University of Saskatchewan. Once her application was approved, she wasted little time and ordered the materials she needed to start building each package. Yu collaborated with the Women’s Centre at the University of Saskatchewan to help distribute the packages across campus.

“My main motivation was that I was interested in working with athletes. I felt strongly about working to provide a safer environment to participate in their sports and a level of security if they get injured.”

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The College of Kinesiology is proud to present the Friend of the College Award to Dr. Marlys Misfeldt. and basketball for the last number of years. I particularly enjoyed meeting the athletes and getting to know them. It was much more stressful to meet them for the first time following an injury and making hard decisions about returning to their sport.”

Described by her nominators are an undeniably strong female role model in sports medicine, we are honoured to present this years Friend of the College Award to Dr. Marlys Misfeldt.

Although dedicated to those two teams, Dr. Misfeldt would treat athletes from all teams when needed and was the go-to for skin checks. Her time was precious but always given freely in supporting the field of sport medicine as she sat on several boards and was the acting President of the Sports Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan. She volunteered as the team physician with the Canadian International Traditional Karate Federation and as the Chief Medical Officer at provincial, national, and international karate competitions.

This year’s Friend of the College Award winner is Dr. Marlys Misfeldt. “It is an unexpected honour to receive the ’Friend of the College’ award. It is exciting to have the many hours of sitting on hard bleachers acknowledged in this way,” said Dr. Dr.Misfeldt.Misfeldt is a founding member of the Huskie Health Care Coalition and has shared her expertise with Huskie Athletics and the College of Kinesiology since 1992. The Huskie Health Care Coalition is comprised of physicians, surgeons, and health practitioners who provide services to student-athletes at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2019, Dr. Misfeldt retired from the coalition. During her involvement with the program, Dr. Misfeldt supported many exhibition games, tournaments, championships and was the team physician for the Huskie wrestling and basketball teams ensuring our student-athletes were able to compete safely, and received proper care as needed when situations arose. “I volunteered for Huskie Athletics for 24 years, watching many of the U of S sports and acted as the team physician for wrestling

When asked why she has volunteered all these years, her answer was simple, the athletes.

Friend of the College Award goes to DR. MARLYS MISFELDT COLLEGE STORY

The first Friend of the College Award was presented in 1982. This award is presented annually to recognize an individual, group of individuals or an organization that has made a noteworthy contribution to advance the College of Kinesiology such as; • Impacted students or participants in the program, • Increased engagement of alumni, friends or donors, • Improved the curriculum or program offering, • Provided support to the program • And/or acted as an advocate for the College and its programs.

With Beijing largely in lockdown for the Olympics, Lieffers said she is confident in the pandemic public health measures in place to keep all athletes, coaches and officials safe.

Raised in Cudworth, Sask., and now living in Saskatoon, Lieffers’ long road to working the Winter Olympics has included officiating minor hockey, junior leagues, university, and international competition in the province, across the country and around the world. Lieffers began working as an on-ice official in high school and continued throughout her university studies at USask, which she said helped prepare her well for life on the ice and in the classroom.

it will be the culmination of a dozen years of working her way up the ranks as a hockey referee, as she takes a month off from her duties as an elementary school teacher in the town Asquith, just west of Saskatoon, to take part in the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.

JAMES SHEWAGA

Ciannaalumna

Lieffers worked the Olympic women’s hockey competition, scheduled from Feb. 4-17.

It’s a dream come true for Cianna Lieffers.

“It will be a ‘bubble’ format, so everybody coming into the Olympics has to be fully vaccinated and produce a number of negative COVID tests before we enter the bubble, to ensure that it is going to be a safe environment for everybody to compete in,” said Lieffers. “And we will be restricted in the bubble to the places where we have access to and are allowed to go, and there will be daily testing done right on the spot, with instant results. So, they are definitely doing everything they can to ensure that all the measures are put in place to keep us safe and healthy while we are there."

Kinesiology Lieffers officiates ice hockey at 2022 Winter Olympics.

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“My studies in the College of Kinesiology and the College of Education have really helped me succeed in both paths of my career,” said Lieffers, who regularly works Huskie hockey games and once officiated one of the longest games in university hockey history that went into four overtime periods in 2014. “Because of the College of Kinesiology, I was able to gain information and knowledge and I was able to apply it to training off the ice in order to perform better on the ice, so it definitely helped me. I think referring and teaching kind of go hand-inhand, with the skills needed for both jobs. I think being a referee has made me a better teacher, and vice versa. And the things that I learn in the classroom and through the College of Education have helped me on the ice.”

“This has been a dream and goal that I have been working towards,” said Lieffers, who earned kinesiology (2017) and education (2018) degrees at USask. “I remember the first time someone made the comment, ‘you have potential and one day we are going to see you at the Olympics.’ I kind of laughed at the comment and now looking back on that, it is kind of a surreal feeling that I have accomplished that goal and I am going to be skating on the Olympic ice. It is definitely something I am really looking forward to.”

With one athlete, one official and two coaches, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Huskie Athletics will be well represented by USask alumni at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Games in ForBeijing.Lieffers,

KINNECTION 2022 · College of Kinesiology 15 USask College of Kinesiology alumna Cianna Lieffers has been selected as one of the on-ice officials for this month’s Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. “ BECAUSE OF THE COLLEGE OF KINESIOLOGY, I WAS ABLE TO GAIN INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE AND I WAS ABLE TO APPLY IT TO TRAINING OFF THE ICE IN ORDER TO PERFORM BETTER ON THE ICE, SO IT DEFINITELY HELPED ME.” - CIANNA LIEFFERS

COLLEGE STORY “WHILE I HAVE A SENSE OF SADNESS TO BE LEAVING THE BEST COLLEGE AT SUCH A GREAT UNIVERSITY, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT THE COLLEGE IS IN GREAT HANDS AND IN AN IDEAL POSITION TO CONTINUE TO FLOURISH.” - DR. CHAD LONDON

• Initiated USask’s signing of the Okanagan Charter and its accompanying formal commitment to embedding health in all aspects of campus culture and promoting wellbeing locally and globally.

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• Launched a new governance structure for Huskie Athletics which included serving as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, and cosponsored a full review of Huskie Athletics by an external expert panel of

Beyondreviewers.thecollege, Dean London has been an outstanding leader for the wider university. His many contributions at this level include oversight of Huskie Athletics, and service as a senior member of the Deans’ Council and Senior Leadership Forum.

Dr. Chad London was appointed as dean in 2016 and began his second term in 2021. He is currently on administrative leave. He has been an exceptional leader and dean, and a valued colleague. His accomplishments leading the college are many including:

• Unveiled the Don Bailey Lecture Series, a 100% donor-funded speaker series that features experts from across the globe, presenting on a broad range of kinesiology-related topics.

• Launched the Youth Leadership Through Sport program for Indigenous youth through a $50,000 grant in partnership with the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

• Envisioned, developed and implemented an unprecedented enrolment growth plan in the college that resulted in a 40% increase in students (including a 32% increase of Indigenous students) from 2016-2021, and introduced new faculty and staff resources to increase research capacity and enhance the quality of the student experience.

Dr. Chad London bodes farewell to the College of Kinesiology

• Facilitated enhanced research focus and supports in the College that resulted in a 20% increase in the number of faculty members holding tri-agency grants, a 185% increase in all external awarded research funding, a 1,100% increase in tri-agency funding, and a 36% increase in publications (as per the Scopus database) from 2016 to 2021.

• Provided leadership in the final stages of fundraising, design, construction and programming of Merlis Belsher Place, a $51M oncampus ice and court sport complex.

• Launched a revamped combined degree (B.Sc.Kin/B.Ed) with the College of Education, with the first-year intake achieving its target of 30 students (an increase of over 300% from the previous year).

• Stewarded a $3.14M grant from the Government of Saskatchewan to replace the turf field and upgrade the lighting at Griffiths Stadium and solicited a private donation of $500,000 to redevelop outdated tennis courts on campus into an outdoor sport court complex.

KINESIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS

Dr. Joel Lanovaz was previously appointed acting dean until June 30, 2023 during the period of Dr. London’s planned administrative leave. Dr. Lanovaz will continue in the role for this period. Information on the search to appoint a new dean, College of Kinesiology will be forthcoming. Please join us in congratulating Chad on his new role and expressing our great sense of appreciation and genuine respect. We wish him all the best and we know he will do incredible work at Mount Royal.

• Oversaw the offering of the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation program for students, staff, and faculty in the college, and sponsored the Orange You Ready Initiative.

It is with considerable mixed feelings that we share the news that Dr. Chad London will be stepping down as dean, College of Kinesiology following his administrative leave on December 31, 2022. Chad has accepted the provost and vice-president academic role at Mount Royal University, which he will begin January 1, 2023.

• Oversaw a $2.1M donation to create the Ron and Jane Graham Sport Science and Health Centre, a 4,700 square foot interdisciplinary research and practice space that provides practical and bench labs, physical and psychological services, and sport physiotherapy.

Chilibeck is a professor of kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan who teaches courses in exercise physiology. His classes cover cold-weather topics and he says the science supports the theory that some exercise in the extreme cold has health Whilebenefits.doing some research on cold weather and the body, Chilibeck said researchers had people sit in a chamber where they slowly lowered the room temperature.

As well, one of two types of adipose tissue (or body fat) — brown — gets activated and gives off heat in the cold.

“Your muscles actually start to vibrate at a moderately cold temperature, so before you start to shiver, your muscles start to vibrate and that might lead to increased energy expenditure,” Chilibeck said. If a person gets to the point where they are cold enough to shiver, that can increase their energy expenditure as well, because muscles are contracting. Chilibeck said that means people are

“That’s another way that we might expend a little bit more calories than just standing around in the heat,” Chilibeck explained.

He recommended snowshoeing or cross-country skiing to really embrace the extreme cold through exercise, since those are more aerobic activities than simply running or walking. He said he tends to snowshoe more himself in the extreme cold because his cross-country ski boots are only well insulated into the -20 temperatures. His snowshoe boots, though, can handle anything as low as -30 or -35.

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“You’re getting a good calorie burn from just walking in the snow with snowshoes if you’re walking in deep enough snow as well,” he said.

Dr. Phil Chilibeck practises what he teaches — in this case, enjoying a late afternoon of snowshoeing for exercise in a wind chill of -24 C.

LIBBY GIESBRECHT, SASKATOON / 650 CKOM going to be using more energy when they’re exercising in the cold.

“They’re great activities. Cross-country skiing, you’re working your arms and your legs and so it provides a really good aerobic workout,” Chilibeck Thatsaid. translates to more calories burned, which can also be accomplished by snowshoeing in deeper snow for more resistance.

COLLEGE RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

USask prof says extreme cold can be ideal for exercise

More energy being used can also translate into a warmer body for the person doing the activity.

“The key here is … wearing layers because the layers trap air in between them and that acts as insulation,” Chilibeck explained. “The key is to keep your toes and fingers warm; that’s what gets cold first.”

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Chilibeck said he can go for an hour or even a bit longer if his snowshoeing is “Thevigorous.thing that limits me is my feet … After about an hour, an hour and a half, my feet will get cold in -30,” he shared, adding that, having had frostbite previously, that damage makes his toes more susceptible to the Hiscold.biggest tip for proper cold weather exercise is in the outfit — dressing in layers, Chilibeckparticularly.wassporting a T-shirt, two heavier track shirts, track pants, long johns and thermal socks for his snowshoeing Friday. He also had goodquality mittens, a balaclava and his snowshoeing boots.

That’s because in the cold, the body will constrict blood vessels closer to the skin and draw blood towards the central part of the body to protect its Chilibeckorgans.said his motivation to get outside in the extreme temperatures comes from going a little stir-crazy.

“Get out there, even if it’s 20 minutes a day. Just (don’t) be afraid of the cold weather as long as you’re dressed right,” he said, offering encouragement to anyone hoping to get their blood pumping in Saskatchewan’s frigid temperatures.

“I find just sitting around inside the house drives you crazy, especially when it’s -20, -30 for two or three weeks in a row, and so just to get outside for an hour (or) an hour and a half every day, it just keeps you sane and improves your psychological outlook,” he shared.

“I agreed and with the support of our dean, we gathered a group of people to start organizing which included students, Kate Korchinski and Adam Luchkanych, Dr. Joel Lanovaz, and Rose Roberts. Together we figured out details, dates, and how to move forward.”

The initiative stems from the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that is held on September 30th each year, which is also Orange Shirt Day, where people wear orange to always remember the children, families, and communities harmed by residential schools.

“I was walking through a tobacco garden with Stephanie Frost and Stryker Calvez this past summer and they told me about the concept of Orange You Ready? and asked if I thought we could try it in Kinesiology,” said kinesiology associate professor, Alison Oates.

Orange You Ready? is a fun and educational community learning process to share in the challenge of moving towards (re) conciliation on campus and beyond.

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ALYSSA WIEBE | KINESIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS COLLEGE STORY

Participants in Orange You Ready? work as a community within the College of Kinesiology, as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people

Orange You Ready? An learningeducationalcommunityprocess.

“I decided to get involved in Orange You Ready? since we would be collaborating in a team to overcome fun reconciliation challenges,” said Chapelski. “I also felt this would be a great way to discuss, listen, and progress in my reconciliation journey with other people.” In the College of Kinesiology and the spirit of sport, competition is not something that people shy away from which led to the need of dedicated officials. The Orange You Ready? officials are Indigenous people with connections to the college who have been approached following protocol.

Rose Roberts, Stephanie Frost, and Howler (Stryker Calvez) attend one of the challenges between the two teams. Photo submitted.

The teams put in their best effort to respond to the challenges, then receive feedback from the officials, and keep going back and forth with the next challenge in a supported structure that helps to create a safe place to learn and grow.

KINNECTION 2022 · College of Kinesiology 21 together, to learn about the healing road of (re)conciliation and what that means to them, to the people around them, and to all treaty people linked to these lands. Alternating between learning and action, participants take small but meaningful steps toward building an understanding that supports an inclusive future for all in response to TRC Call to action #10 iii.

“An example of this was that each team created educational activities that could be used in future Kinesiology courses that support reconciliation. Officials then asked the teams to think about inviting an Elder to speak with the class as compared to merely searching up a video,” explained, co-creator, online support coordinator, and committee member, Stephanie Frost.

senior leaders, and staff within the College of Kinesiology were assigned to two teams; Team ReKINciliation and Team ReKINize the Calls.

With the guidance from Calvez, the organizing committee learned to follow the medicine wheel and design challenges around Emotional, Mental, Physical, and Spiritual health, as well as reciprocity that would be meaningful for the College of Students,Kinesiology.faculty,

Graduate student Matthew Chapelski is a co-captain of Team ReKINciliation and credited this program to challenging him to apply his understanding of reconciliation to creative challenges.

The Orange You Ready? program plans to continue to grow across campus next year in hopes that other colleges and units will join in and compete against one another, with the growth of reconciliation at the forefront of each competition.

“I would highly recommend getting involved with this program in the future. It is the organization committees' goal to have this be a campus-wide spectacle and have all students, staff, and faculty on-campus involved in one way or another,” said graduate student, Adam Luchkanych.

Today, the outstanding student-athlete with the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Huskies is a rising track and field star who is preparing to compete for Canada in an international competition for the first time later this month. Remarkably, she has earned her spot on the national team without having taken part in Canadian university sports competition for two years due to injuries and the pandemic.

heptathlon athletes in the North America when she lined up against a field of top U.S. college competitors at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California from April 13-16, clinching her spot on the Canadian team. The USask kinesiology student finished second out of 25 athletes in her division in the women’s heptathlon by setting a new personal best of 5,443 points, including career-best performances in the long jump, shot put, javelin, 800 metres, and 100m hurdles.

Despite her lengthy layoff due to a lingering leg injury, Ostertag proved that she could race with some of the best young

If competing for the first time after a long layout wasn’t enough, Ostertag did it while also writing three final exams remotely from California, where she took part in elite spring track events in the month of April.

Five years ago, Nicole Ostertag was a budding ballet star, having trained at prestigious art institutes the likes of Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto and the American Ballet Theatre in New York City.

“I have had some issues with my lower leg and I didn’t compete in the U Sports season this year because of it, so it has been a long haul to get here and I was finally healthy enough to compete and we kind of surprised ourselves with the results and it ended up qualifying me for the national team,” said Ostertag, who earned a bronze medal in pentathlon in her rookie season and a silver in her second year at the national track and field championships, but did not compete in the last two U Sports seasons.

“I just finished my last exam (on April 26) so it has been interesting trying to write my exams down here in California while I have been training and competing and trying to balance it all,” said Ostertag, who in addition to making the national team while south of the border also learned that she had earned her first perfect grade of 100 per cent in one of her kinesiology classes.

“Making the national team is something that a lot of athletes dream of doing and I have dreamed of it since I started doing track,” said Ostertag, who donned Canada’s colours to compete against future Olympians in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association Combined Events Championship on May 14-15 at the Terry Fox Athletics Facility in Ottawa. “Very few athletes get to that level, so it feels like an accomplishment for sure. And just being able to compete again after being injured for so long, it feels really good. And competing against athletes at that level will be a great experience.”

Huskie student-athlete ready to compete CANADAforSTUDENTSTORY

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JAMES SCHEWAGA

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for her first national team competition, Ostertag is hoping this is the first step towards a new goal: no longer dancing on Broadway, but competing in the Olympics.

Of course, excelling in athletics and academics is nothing new for the four-time Academic All-Canadian (awarded to U Sports studentathletes who earn a minimum of 80 per cent in their classes while completing a full course load). In fact, Ostertag has been one of the top students in the College of Kinesiology throughout her time at USask, earning the college’s undergraduate academic award as the top student in her third year of study with an impressive average of 96 per cent, and has followed that up with a 95 per cent average in the 2021/22 fall and winter terms.

Ostertag knows all about making sacrifices, after leaving home at a young age to pursue her passion for ballet for four years at top ballet schools from Calgary to Toronto to New York to Philadelphia, before deciding to return home to Saskatoon for her final year of high school. “I had kind of reached a point where I knew I would have to choose between auditioning for ballet companies and going all in with ballet as a career, versus going to university and getting a degree,” she said. “And I just knew that I was academically inclined, and university is something that I wanted to do, and my passion for ballet had kind of fizzled out. It was also hard being away from home at that age. I left home when I was 13, 14, so it was difficult being away from my family because we are very close. Not having that support through my ballet training and trying to balance school and being away from home, that was very tough.”

“That is the dream,” said Ostertag, who still has three years of eligibility as a Huskie student-athlete. “I have a lot of work to do to get there first, but that would be the ultimate goal.”

After returning to Saskatoon for Grade 12, Ostertag played basketball at Holy Cross High School, and then tried track and field in the spring with instant success by winning a provincial gold medal in high jump and a bronze in hurdles, opening the door to her Huskie career. Now, she is following in the footsteps of her parents Dave and Lesia, both former Huskie student-athletes who also competed internationally for Canada in track and field, while her brothers Evan and Daniel both excelled in Huskie basketball.

“It was definitely a surprise when I decided to come home and completely switch gears into track,” she said. “My family didn’t expect that, but it was an easy transition for me, having their support, because they have all been through the student-athlete experience. And now it has ended up being a very large part of my life, so it is interesting how that Nowhappened.”assheprepares

“I’ve always had this drive to be the absolute best I can be in everything I do, so with school I go into every class with the goal of finishing with 100 per cent and I really push myself to do the absolute best I can, and that’s the same thing with my training for track, too,” said Ostertag, who is on pace to complete her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in spring of 2023. “It is a challenge to balance both (academics and athletics) and there are definitely some sacrifices that I have to make, but it is worth it.”

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“Playing competitive sports shapes you to learn how to work toward a goal and work as a team. You have to be focused on the ‘plan’ and the process to get there. You see the world more openly and accepting.” She went to the 2009 Canada Summer Games and multiple national championships, but never actualized her Team Canada dreams. As her competitive soccer life faded around 20 years old, a new passion emerged.

The 30-year-old, who says she’s been called a “meaning maker,” took her curiosity and fear and turned them into the cornerstone of her career, becoming a women’s health physiotherapist with pelvic floor Reimercertification.runsher

It’s a small space built on a big dream to help women feel confident moving through all stages of their lives.

"I'm always questioning things; I'm always looking for meaning. I think that just naturally motivates me to keep going," says Reimer, a women's health physiotherapist with a focus on pelvic care.

Bridges: ofhealthWomen'stopmindforMyrandaReimer BSKIN'14 BRE MCADAM | STARPHOENIXSASKATOON

business, Myranda Reimer Physiotherapy, out of an office at Synergy Strength and Conditioning in Saskatoon. There’s a big blue “peanut ball” to help support positions during labour tucked behind a table, and pelvic models on her desk.

“She is very creative and if she sets her mind to it, she can do it. She has a thirst for life,” Reimer’s mom, Laurie, said. She was living on a farm near Swift Current, but the family decided to move to Saskatoon to help Reimer pursue her dream of playing soccer at the national level. They travelled all over the province for soccer tournaments, so the move made sense. Reimer was in Grade 10 at the Laurietime. could tell her daughter was naturally athletic and driven, and believes sport helped shape who Reimer is today.

“Thatagain. was the moment when I realized women are having concerns and it really doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of information or support for (them) to kind of get over this hump of ‘Yeah I feel better day to day, but as soon as I get into some of that heavier lifting or higher impact, things kind of start to crumble,'” Reimer says in an interview with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “My older friend’s story got me interested, and maybe got me listening a bit more to the women in my life, and my friend’s sister, her story scared the s — out of me.”

There was a point in Myranda Reimer’s (BSKIN'14, MPT'17) life when she started noticing the women around her expressing concerns about their pelvic health. She was transitioning from a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology to a Masters in Physiotherapy when an older female friend confided in her about trouble controlling her bladder and the traumatic surgery she had to stop her leakage. Then, her best friend’s sister had a baby. She was cleared for exercise and eager to return to her active lifestyle, but started experiencing pelvic pain and was told she would likely never run or lift weights

Graduates from the class of 1971 and 1972 gathered back on campus on June 10 – 12, 2022 to reminisce, rediscover, and reunite with one another. The reunion was kickstarted by Sharon Hill (Schneider) and Rick Bell, classmates from the class of ’71. With the pandemic delaying their 50-year reunion to 2022, they thought it was the perfect chance to bring in the class of ’72 as many were close amongst the two graduating years. The weekend started off with a social at Mano’s in Saskatoon and ended with a tour of the new $42.9-million multi-sport complex, Merlis Belsher Place. In between, they toured the Physical Activity Complex, home to the College of Kinesiology and grad year photos, where a lot of time was spent reminiscing and the University of Saskatchewan campus.

“Students find her extremely relatable and are often amazed by the amount of knowledge and skill she has developed in her relatively short time in this profession. She is quickly developing the confidence and skill as an instructor and it is obvious to anyone working with her that she will speak well about things she knows well, and will quickly strive to learn more about the things she doesn’t,” Butcher said. He said Reimer’s unique ability to bridge the gap between conventional rehabilitation and advanced, high-performance training has “exponentially enhanced the student experience.”

Reimer saw physiotherapy as a natural extension of her love for movement and exercise, which included running, biking, ultimate frisbee, CrossFit and weightlifting. She said the women whose stories had sparked her interest in pelvic health had sought the help of a physiotherapist and were able to get back into the exercise they desired.

After graduating, Reimer started taking courses specifically targeting the pelvic area, which contains the bowels, bladder and sex organs. She spent five years searching, and thirsting, for continuing education. There were trips to Toronto, virtual training, conferences and talks from visiting physiotherapists whom she admired.

ALYSSA BACK TO

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“That was my big first exposure to starting to understand that challenges come up in our life, however, there are professionals and approaches that can help you move through those challenges, one being pregnancy or postpartum — how the female body naturally adapts and changes,” Reimer says, adding it made her realize how little she knew about her own pelvic health and menstrual cycle. Butcher saw the value in Reimer’s specialty and asked her to return to the U of S to help teach his classes.

WIEBE (BA)PE ’71 AND ’72 REUNION COMES

CAMPUS

“I saw a big gap in support for women who wanted to continue to be on that higher end of athleticism, because athleticism is a spectrum,” she Insays.2017, Reimer earned her Masters in Physiotherapy from the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Rehabilitation Science. “Myranda excels at thinking outside the box and seeing the big picture of things. She was never afraid to ask hard questions of me and demonstrated that she truly sought to learn and understand the material at well beyond a basic level,” said Scotty Butcher, one of Reimer’s professors.

Impressed by the new learning and sport facilities, labs, spaces, the quote of the weekend was simply, “I went to school 50-years too soon”. If you are thinking of hosting a class reunion, please contact alyssa.wiebe@usask.ca.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to my family, friends, coaches, teammates and mentors, and the clubs, organizations and communities that gave me the opportunities and support for which I feel so blessed.”

Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, and the 1972 Olympics in Munich, OnceGermany.he

Diving continues to be a part of Ron’s life as his daughter, Emma, is a Canadian diving champion and won the NCAA title in one-metre while attending the University of Hawaii. She also represented Canada at the Commonwealth Games, 44 years after Ron.

Friesen is being joined by fellow inductees Ken Achs (drag racing), Mark Loehndorf (softball, football, wrestling), David Wassill (water skiing), Brian Shalovelo (softball), Tim Kroeker (baseball), Michael Linklater (basketball), Natalie Lukiw (volleyball), Cory Mantyka (football) as well as the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ 2005 track and field teams and the Saskatoon Hilltops as the sports organization of the year.

KINNECTION 2022 · College of Kinesiology26 ALUMNI STORY College of Kinesiology graduate Ron Friesen (BSPE’71) is having his name called to be inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame. “It is such a great honour to be inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame. Looking back over the 50 years since my competitive days, I have come to recognize the critical importance of the support I received from so many people in my life and in particular from those from Saskatoon, USask, and Saskatchewan,” said Friesen. Friesen enjoyed doing back somersaults off the board as a lifeguard and swim instructor in Moose Jaw, SK during the summer of 1967. From there, he began training as a competitive diver during his first-year enrolled in physical education at the University of Saskatchewan. Fast forward one year, he was a Canadian university champion on the one- and three-metre diving boards. During his university experience, he won six national university titles and was named the Canadian university diver of the year three times. Although his diving career was short, totalling five years, he made a big splash competing at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland where he won bronze performing before the Queen, the 1971

ALYSSA WIEBE

Diving into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame

earned his physical education degree, he used his sports experience to manage swimming pools throughout British Columbia. He earned a law degree, practised law, taught law and served as the CEO of the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. He received international awards for training programs he developed for lawyers and judges.

NAMED HEAD COACH OF U20 CHAMPIONSHIPSFORATHLETICSCANADIANTEAMWORLDU20

REINDL (BKI'06)

"We have a really strong team from coast to coast, to the point where we think we have enough firepower to enter in all five relay competitions (4x100m and 4x400m for men and women, and then the mixed 4x400m)", said Reindl.

Pearson recently surpassed the World U20 standard in the 800m by posting a new Personal Best of 2:05.48s. This broke her own Saskatchewan Athletics U20 record. ATHLETICS

Reindl returns as the national U20 athletics team head coach for the second consecutive year, after serving in the same role last summer in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team is bringing home gold from the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship after a thrilling 3-2 victory over the United States in the gold medal game Monday. Jason Weber was named as the strength and conditioning coach that travelled with the team to Madison, Wisconsin in early June The2022.tournament featured the top 8 teams including USA, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany and Slovakia.

WEBER (BSPE'99) STRIKES GOLD WITH U18 TEAM CANADA AT WORLDS

Coach Reindl will also be representing Canada at the 2022 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Championships from August 19 to 21. He will be acting as the Sprints, Hurdles, Relays Coach when the national team competes in The Bahamas.

Another familiar face will be joining Coach Reindl in Colombia as 2022 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, Avery Pearson will be competing at the Championships.

HUSKIE ATHLETICS

HUSKIE

Track and Field / Cross Country Head Coach Jason Reindl will be representing Team Canada this August as he has been named the Head Coach of the U20 National Team. Reindl will lead Team Canada at the World U20 Championships from August 1 to 6 in Cali, Colombia.

The United States has won gold in five of the last six editions (2015-2018, 2020) while Canada won the event in 2019. After a tournament hiatus due to the global pandemic, Canada has claimed the top of the podium for 2022. Team Canada defeated Team USA in a thrilling gold medal game 3-2 as they were able to fend off late pressure to capture its sixth gold medal. Canada finished the preliminary round in third place in Group A after a win over Sweden and losses to Finland and the United States. It booked a spot in the gold medal game with a dominant 7-0 win over Slovakia in the quarterfinals and a narrow 2-1 victory over Finland in the semifinals. Congratulations Jason!

Coach Reindl will oversee 19 women and 14 men in Colombia and is ready to make a splash on the world stage.

For more information or to sign up, please visit rec.usask.ca or visit us in the Physical Activity Complex! REDISCOVEREDRECREATION Fitness Centre · Fitness classes · Two swimming pools Climbing wall · Triple gymnasium · Squash and racquetball courts 210 m indoor track · Intramurals · and so much more! USask Rec offers recreation opportunities to the on-campus community and general public. As a student and member you get access to: