Vista 2017 Headlines
VISTA 2017
VISTA 2017 returned to Canada, where the first VISTA conference was held in Jasper in 1993. The eighth edition of the Conference was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It took place from 20-23 September 2017. The theme “Opportunities and Challenges in Paralympic Sport Science and Sport Medicine Support” set the tone and discussion points of the conference.
The VISTA Conference provides a forum for the exchange of current information, research and expertise related to Para sport and the Paralympic Movement. It brings together experts in sport science, classification, medicine, coaching, athlete support and sport administration. Overall, at VISTA 2017, 132 presentations were delivered in addition to 10 interactive workshops with roughly 300 attendees.
The topics covered at VISTA 2017 included:
- Paralympic participation and success
- Classification
- Technology
- Biomechanics and engineering
- Athlete health and performance
- The integrative approach to the preparation of a Paralympic athlete or the athlete’s career
- Athlete and coach education in both summer and winter sports
The Organisers
The 2017 event is organised by the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) in partnership with the IPC.
The CPC’s vision is to lead the development of sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. The CSIO is committed to the pursuit of excellence by providing world-class programmes, services, and leadership to high performance athletes and coaches to enhance their ability to achieve international podium performances. The CSIO offers high performance athletes a range of sport science and sport medicine services including nutrition, physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, mental performance, sport therapy, and life services. The CSIO also delivers programming and services to National and Provincial Sport Organisations and coaches to work towards building a stronger sport system in Ontario and Canada.
VISTA 2017 Programme
The VISTA 2017 scientific programme consists of keynote addresses, invited symposia, oral presentations, and poster sessions. Each oral presentation is guided by the theme “Opportunities and Challenges in Paralympic Sport Science and Sport Medicine Support.” A PDF of the VISTA 2017 programme is available online.
VISTA 2017 IPC Scientific Award
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that Professor Vicky Goosey-Tolfrey has received the 2017 IPC Paralympic Scientific Award. The Loughborough University professor was recognized for her work over the past two decades to apply sports science to Para athletes who have been training for the international stage. She will be presenting as a keynote speaker on “Pushing from Atlanta to Rio: Reflections of my Practitioner and Research Journey.” The past recipients of the VISTA Scientific Award can be found on the VISTA conference homepage.
The Scientific Award is provided to candidates who have achieved the following, contributed through significant scientific publications related to the scientific study of sport for persons with an impairment in any discipline, have received national and/or international recognition for his/her work, and place an emphasis on the practical application of research with direct or indirect benefit to the Paralympic Movement. It commemorates the recipients’ substantial contributions to research and development in the field of athletes with a disability.
VISTA 2017 Presentations
Keynote Speakers
The keynote addresses were delivered by Vickey Goosey-Tolfrey, the winner of the IPC Scientific Award and additional renowned invited speakers. The 2017 speakers are detailed in the table below:
| Theme | Presented by |
| Pushing from Atlanta to Rio: Reflections of my Practitioner and Research Journey | Vickey Goosey-Tolfrey , former IPC Medical and Scientific Committee member, science consultant for GB Wheelchair Rugby, Loughborough University professor. |
| More Than Just a Game: The Public Health Impact of Sport and Physical Activity for Individuals with an Impairment | Dr. Cheri Blauwet, Seven-time Paralympic Medallist Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. |
| Technology and the Paralympics: Current Capabilities and Future Possibilities | Dr. Rory Cooper, 1988 Paralympic Bronze Medallist Founding Director, Human Engineering Research Laboratories McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. |
| The Paralympic Games and Social Impact: Beyond the Rhetoric | Dr. Laura Misener, Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario. |
Invited Symposium
The invited symposia were carefully selected via an abstract submission process. Each presentation is chaired and moderated by a member of the IPC Sports Science Committee or a professional expert. The chair, speakers and each of their presentation themes are in the table below:
| Theme | Chair/Moderator | Presented by |
| Making Paralympic Champions | David Legg | David Howe, Anjali Forber-Pratt and Sabine Radtke |
| Evidence-Based Classification in Paralympic Sport | Yves Vanlandewijck | Raul Reina, Florentina Hettinga and Rianne Ravensbergen |
| Talent Identification and development (TID) programme for Paralympic sports | Raymond So | Joseph Baker, Taisuke Kinugasa and Martin Lam |
| The Canadian Integrated Support Team Model | Jon Kolb | Bruce Craven, Jared Fletcher and Mike Frogley |
| Maximising athletes’ performance – Facts and Concerns | Osnat Fliess-Douer | Cindy Chang, Hiroaki Hobara and Michael McNamee |
| Athlete and Coach Education | Heather Logan-Sprenger | Marco Tulio de Mello, Joelle Leonie Flueck and Stephen Cheung |
Oral and Poster Presentations
An abstract submission is required to presented as an oral speaker or poster presentation, which is open to all researchers and experts across Para sport and carefully reviewed by the VISTA Scientific Committee Working Group. Information on oral presentations can be found on the VISTA 2017 detailed programme.
Poster Presentations offer participants the opportunity to engage with conference attendees by showcasing their research on a physical poster. These presentations occur parallel to keynote speakers, invited symposia, and oral presentations. Each poster presentation is eligible to receive the poster award, announced on the third night of the conference.
