About Us
GYM-SPARC stands for Getting Young adults Moving by Supporting Participation and Access to Recreation Centres.
A VicHealth Impact Research Grant initiative, GYM-SPARC is the evolution of La Trobe University’s award winning FitSkills research program. FitSkills is a successful gym-based intervention program that matched young people with disability with a university student gym mentor.
Led by La Trobe University’s Professor Nora Shields and associate investigators Professor Rob Carter (Health Economist, Deakin University), Georgie McKenzie (PhD candidate, La Trobe University) and Dr. Rachel Kennedy (La Trobe University), GYM-SPARC is an extension of the FitSkills research aimed at providing gym professionals with practical advice to increase gym participation among young adults with disability.
Meet the Team
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Professor Nora Shields
PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR
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Professor Rob Carter
HEALTH ECONOMIST AT DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
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Georgie McKenzie
PhD CANDIDATE, LA TROBE UNIVERSITY & CP-ACHIEVE
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Dr. Rachel Kennedy
GYM-SPARC PROJECT MANAGER
LA TROBE UNIVERSITY
Effective programs, backed by research
FitSkills is a 12 week, twice a week gym program that matches a young adult with disability with a university student mentor to attend the gym with. The client’s mentor is not a health professional or a trainer, but a volunteer who offers their time to exercise alongside the young person at each gym session.
During the trial, 123 young people with a disability aged between 13 and 30 years completed the program across 22 local community gym sites in Melbourne.
GYM-SPARC explored how social supports can and have been used in gym settings to date. The research was conducted across a variety of methods including:
A statewide survey with Victorian community gyms
Extensive interviews with young people with disability and gym professionals
Collaborative workshops with stakeholders representation from the disability, recreational, health and government sectors.
Filling the gaps can better support young adults with disability in community gyms.