Bone and Joint Institute

David Howe, a four-time Paralympian and professor in Western’s School of Kinesiology, has always been one to follow his passions. Howe, who has hemiplegia cerebral palsy, competed in four back-to back Paralympics between 1988 and 2000. He won a bronze medal in Seoul in 1988, and silver in the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, both times running in the 5000-metre race. Hemiplegia cerebral palsy is a neuromuscular condition that affects the right hemisphere of Howe’s body. His track and field success was inspired a decade earlier when he saw Olympic athletes performing at the top of their game. “My father was a high school track coach, and during the 1976 Montreal Olympics he took the family to see all the track and field events. From that moment on I knew I wanted to be a high-performance runner,” said Howe. After competing in the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney and the 2002 IPC World Championships, he retired from competitive sport. The change allowed him to focus more on the research aspect of his academic career, studying sociocultural aspects of disability sport. “My retirement from competitive sport was much more difficult than the transition to university life,” said Howe. “The act of retiring from running was a real gut wrench to me. The thrill of competing and training and the identity I developed as a runner was hard to shift.” Throughout his academic career, Howe has written extensively on the area of disability sports including a book published in 2008 entitled “The Cultural Politics of the Paralympic Movement Through an Anthropological Lens.” He is currently working on another book in the same area with a colleague. At the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, Howe will receive an International Paralympic Committee Sports Science Award for the research he has contributed throughout his career. He will also focus on producing investigative journalism for underreported Paralympic stories. During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Howe wrote a feature on disabled people who live in informal housing, also known as ‘favelas.’ Howe, who joined Western in 2018, advocates for a more inclusive space for people who experience disability, not only in sport but in academia and other sectors of society where ableism continues to exist. Canada has often been a leader in Paralympic sport, he said, but there is still much work to be done to achieve equity for disabled athletes and continue to maintain all the achievements that have been accomplished. It is essential to encourage disabled students to not only pursue athletic endeavors but also higher education, Howe said, as they are underrepresented on university campuses. “My biggest advice to young people is to pursue what you’re passionate about, whether that’s athletics or any other pursuit,” said Howe.  

Athletics teach life lessons, key skills

Dr. Robin Mackin believes the leadership and teamwork skills she acquired as a softball pitcher have helped build the foundation for a successful career in academia and medicine. Mackin is a professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre. She competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a pitcher for the Canadian women’s softball team. Mackin began playing softball at a young age and attended Fresno State and the University of Nebraska on full scholarships as a Division 1 student athlete. She also competed in several international tournaments with the Canadian women’s national team. “What I learned as an athlete was that the difference between those who make it to the international level is more about the mental game than it is about physical abilities. And I think that’s really important in medicine and academia as well,” Mackin said. Her athletic experiences guided Mackin in her academic journey and medical career, including as the coaching lead for Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s pediatrics residency program and undergraduate medical school. The skills she gained in softball have helped her excel in her current roles, and she applies the lessons learned on the diamond to support students reach their full potential. “That concept of teamwork, collaboration and working together towards a goal or a mission that is a part of softball was really important in providing a solid foundation, and continues to guide me throughout my profession as a medical doctor and academic.”  

Rowing and resilience

Angela Schneider, director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at Western, believes in the power of sports, not only for personal growth but also as a tool for bringing people together. Schneider, a kinesiology professor, competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won a silver medal for rowing. “The number one thing that being an Olympic athlete taught me is resilience,” Schneider said. “Every day is not going to be the best day, but you’re always trying to find ways to get better, and that takes a lot of tenacity.” Competing at the highest levels, including the Olympics, helped her develop strategies for success, no matter the environment. “It’s that ability to recover and reframe, stay open minded, and keep a positive outlook, not only towards yourself, but also to your opponents, because you need them for your journey.” That mental fortitude is required not only in competitive sports but also in life, Schneider said. Her research focus includes doping in sport, Olympic studies and women in sports. Schneider has done extensive work with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and she was the first woman director for ethics and education at WADA. She recently conducted a series of lectures at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece, where she discussed the ancient games and how its history and values can help guide the future. “There’s a lot of negativity in the world right now. Sports can contribute to peace and bring people and nations together,” said Schneider. “I have seen it firsthand, when athletes come together and they don’t even share a language, but they share a goal, an experience and a love of the sport. It is something that transcends those kinds of conflicts.” Read more about Western’s connections at the 2024 Olympics.