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About Us

Who we are

The Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement is a disability research centre at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that provides physical activity and sport programs for people with disabilities.

Vision

The Steadward Centre’s vision is to be internationally recognized for supporting independence and inclusion of children, youth and adults with disabilities in their communities by inspiring: 

  • Vital achievements in personal fitness, motor skill development and athletic performance
  • Meaningful, innovative and applied advancements in adapted physical activity
  • Passion for learning and discovery
  • Excellence and leadership

Mission

To create, disseminate and apply knowledge of physical activity, athletic development and motor skill development specific to persons with disabilities.

The Centre is led by executive director Dr. Donna Goodwin, who is also an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation and a renowned Canadian scholar in adapted physical activity. (Learn more about Dr. Goodwin's research on our Research pages.)

The Centre, originally called The Canadian Research and Training Centre for Athletes with Disability, was established by Dr. Robert D. Steadward, O.C., LLD (Hons) in 1978, as part of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta.

In 1987, the facility was named the Rick Hansen Centre in recognition of the accomplishment of Rick Hansen and his Man in Motion World Tour.

In 2000 it was renamed The Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement to honour its founder.

It was developed to provide athletes with physical disabilities, and their coaches, with technical information in the areas of

  • sport,
  • fitness,
  • training
  • and a well-equipped facility to translate the information to practice.

Our goals are to

  • advance research,
  • provide quality applied learning experiences for students
  • and offer world class fitness and physical activity programming for children, youth and adults with disabilities

In doing so we hope to enable Albertans to experience an increased quality of life.

There are three sites located in Edmonton

  1. Van Vliet Centre, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta
  2. St. Joseph Catholic High School
  3. Austin O'Brien Catholic High School


Our partners

We could not do the work we do without the aid of these valuable partners:

 


 

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