Rodney Steadman, an MA student in our department, was a runner up in the Royal Anthropological Institute's Education Outreach Programme international Anthropology of Sport photo contest. Here is the winning photo, and here is what Rodney had to say about it:
"I am researching the perceptions of health and healing in older adult walking and hiking groups for my graduate thesis in anthropology at the University of Alberta. Walter is 72 years old and belongs to the Cochrane Hiking Club. On this particular day, Walter was on an outing in Kananaskis Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. He was showing me the elevation gained by the group on a break during the hike. For some members of the group distance traveled and elevation gained are important symbols of health and recovery from injury or illness.
Elevation has more significance than distance because it also reflects themes of adventure and spirituality: both important for mental wellness according to my participants. Hiking into high mountain passes, on rocky slopes and in challenging weather provides the adventure experience while physical activity combined with scenic views can be meditative resulting in a religious or spiritual experience."
You can see all the phots and more details here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raieducation/sets/72157626381062950/with/5528936081/