Incoming U of T post-doc to research how body image affects sport participation
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A recipient of a Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship, Chelsi Ricketts is passionate about promoting inclusive sport and physical activity environments for all (supplied image)
Published: July 11, 2024
For Chelsi Ricketts, research on body image is a scholarly interest borne out of personal experiences. She participated in track, her brother is a collegiate athlete and her father was a competitive bodybuilder.
鈥淕rowing up, I was fascinated by my father's drive and discipline in the pursuit of muscularity and my brother's effortless prowess in the triple jump,鈥 says Ricketts. 鈥淭hese experiences made me more aware of the incredible functions one's body can perform when engaged in sport and physical activity, increasing the likelihood of developing a positive body image.鈥
But Ricketts knows all too well that not everybody appreciates their body鈥檚 potential in sport settings 鈥 she dropped out of sport in high school due to body image concerns. As a researcher, she now strives to promote inclusive and welcoming sport and physical activity environments for all, regardless of body shape, size or weight.
Rickets is a recipient of the 狐狸视频鈥檚 2024 , an annual fellowship program provides funding to support the hiring of post-doctoral fellows from under-represented groups, specifically Indigenous and/or Black researchers. She will work with Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) to explore how sex and gender intersect with body size, shape and weight diversity to influence sport participation among Canadian girls.
This qualitative research will inform the initial phase of a quantitative study that will identify key research priorities for understanding and addressing body shape and weight diversity in Canadian youth sports. The findings will also be integrated with data from a larger grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to explain how intersecting identities impact sport participation.
鈥淚 am thrilled to join U of T's dynamic research community, grow my scholarly profile and foster meaningful connections,鈥 says Ricketts. 鈥淚 was also drawn to this project because of the critical lens through which it will examine and address these issues.鈥
Ricketts says she鈥檚 passionate about work that amplifies the voices of under-represented groups and challenges inequities. 鈥淭his is especially significant to me as a woman of Afro-Caribbean descent, a group historically under-represented in scholarly discourse.鈥
For her PhD dissertation in the department of kinesiology at Michigan State University, Ricketts examined the role of positive body image in the sport confidence and performance of Jamaican and Botswanan athletes.
The project aimed to understand the adaptive aspects of athlete body image and their implications for positive sport experiences and outcomes. Additionally, it sought to foster interconnectedness between two under-studied populations to offer transferable insights for promoting positive outcomes and experiences.
鈥淎 key takeaway was the potential to enhance sport confidence and performance among Jamaican and Botswanan athletes by fostering appreciation for their body's form and functionality,鈥 says Ricketts. 鈥淲hen athletes value their bodies and their capabilities, they can approach their sport with greater confidence, leading to improved performance.鈥
Ricketts says she鈥檚 long been impressed by the research produced in Sabiston鈥檚 . 鈥淲orking with her offers unparalleled training opportunities and I look forward to immersing myself in a field of research that I am deeply passionate about.鈥
Sabiston notes she was aware of Ricketts鈥 promise as a researcher before she applied for the Provost鈥檚 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, even inviting her to lab meetings. 鈥淐helsi presented at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity annual conference [in June] and after her presentation, I had many people come up to me and suggest I approach her for a post-doctoral fellowship,鈥 says Sabiston, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health. 鈥淚 made a lot of sport and exercise psychology colleagues happy when I acknowledged we have already connected.
鈥淐helsi鈥檚 experience in global research specific to body image and sport performance and participation and her expertise in cross-cultural research and partnerships will be valuable for helping me lead specific research aims within the SSHRC Partnership Grant-funded Rethink Sport Project.鈥
As for Ricketts, she says she is grateful to Sabiston and KPE for the opportunity. 鈥淐ollaborating with scholars who share my research interests is invigorating, and there is no better city for this experience than Toronto,鈥 says Ricketts, who visited the city for the first time last summer. 鈥淎s a Jamaican, I find comfort in the fact that in Toronto, I will have opportunities to connect with other Jamaican communities and enjoy authentic Jamaican music and cuisine.鈥