Eunseo Park
Bachelor of Science, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, 3rd Year
Course: KIN 472 (Fall 2021) with Instructor Dr. Jennifer Leo
Who was your community partner and can you describe the project objectives?
My community partner was a member of The Steadward Centre who had had a stroke. His fitness goal was to improve his leg strength and mobility. I was privileged to work with my community partner to satisfy his fitness goal. The project's name was Physical Activity Led by students at the Steadward Centre. The Steadward Centre is a fitness and recreational facility that promotes inclusion for people with impairment. The objective of this project was to plan an individualized plan for my partner. Depending on the fitness goals that my partner had, I would adjust the exercise plan once every week to meet their interests. Through this project, I was not merely an instructor. Instead, by building trust with my partner, I created a friendship with my partner.
What was your biggest takeaway from your CSL placement?
The biggest takeaway from my CSL placement is that I should never assume someone’s capability. Before starting my CSL placement program, I thought that meeting my partner’s goal would be challenging as improving leg strength involves consistent effort. Besides, I was worried that my community partner would be prone to injuries if I demonstrated intense exercises. At the beginning of the placement, I tended to provide simple exercises that would not harm my partner. However, as my partner found these exercises relatively easy, I gradually provided more intense workouts to increase his strength. When the CSL placement almost came to an end, my partner was able to drastically improve his exercise form and strength. Hence, I realized that I should never set limitations to what people are capable of doing.
How can you apply any newly gained knowledge/skills to your future endeavors (courses/employment/volunteering)?
There are many skills that I have gained from CSL placement. If I have to decide the most important skill that I have learned, I would say that I need to work hard consistently. Throughout my placement at the Steadward Centre, I have seen different community members not being able to attend the session due to the harsh winter conditions. My partner has never missed a session throughout the CSL placement despite the weather. His dedication to enhance his exercise fitness made me realise that achieving a goal requires working hard consistently despite the obstacles. When I pursue my career or volunteer work in the future, I will try to work hard consistently and slowly. Even though I may feel unmotivated, I will remind myself that the only way that leads to success is being punctual and working hard at a small step.
What are some of the ways that COVID-19 has affected your community partner or your placement?
Although COVID-19 did not significantly affect my community partner, I noticed that the pandemic had impacted the CSL placement. There were times when there were frequent absences of community members at the Steadward Centre when they had to quarantine for a few weeks because they were showing symptoms of COVID-19. Besides, some of my peers could not work with their partners because they did not satisfy the vaccine requirements. My peers sometimes had to work with my partner and me throughout the term. After encountering these situations, all my peers held the uncertainty that we might not be able to work with our partners due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, despite the pandemic, my community partner was able to come to all of the sessions. His punctuality made me realise that even though there may be obstacles, after all, it is my attitude towards this situation that impacts how I cope with the situation.