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The University of South Australia (UniSA) and the Australian Defence Force have formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for adaptive sports to support serving personnel and veterans.
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The MoU will see final year UniSA physiotherapy, exercise physiology and exercise science university students apply their skills and knowledge to support current and former serving ADF members taking part in adaptive sports trials, such as selection for the Invictus Games and Warrior Games.
The MoU builds on a highly successful collaboration to support serving and former serving ADF wounded, injured or ill (WII) service members and women since 2017, through the ADF, RSL, UniSA and the Road Home Invictus Pathways Program.
UniSA pro vice chancellor for health sciences Professor Roger Eston said the partnership is one that is full of benefits.
"When training in Adelaide, current and former serving ADF members receive support to improve and refine their competitiveness and performance specific to their event, and UniSA students have the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge in a real-world sports environment with competitors who may later perform on a national and global stage," Professor Eston explained.
"Now that the MoU is formalised, our students will continue to work alongside the Road Home and ADF Adaptive Sports Program (ADFASP) trainers and coaches and undertake high performance testing – including assessment of maximal aerobic capacity, power testing, lactate threshold assessments as well as a range of strength and lung function tests."
Director General ADF Sports Brigadier Phil Winter noted the MoU will give serving and ex-serving WII competitors attending adaptive sports training camps in SA improved access to world-class sports science laboratories and testing facilities that are 'state-of-the art' for measuring human performance.
"The facilities, co-operation and the professional support that UniSA staff and students provide to the adaptive sports competitors results in a very positive partnership, and the ADF is pleased to continue this collaboration to support the WII community," BRIG Winter said.
The ADFASP is a multi-sport event program for WII serving and former serving military personnel and includes both domestic and international events.
More information about the ADFASP, including expressions of interest, is available here.
