The Southern Institute of Technology 3rd year Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science students helped condition and prepare New Zealand para-cyclists to their World Championship gold and silver wins in Mexico this morning. The SIT students trained 6 NZ para-cyclists, 4 of which are Southlanders and two SIT graduates for the World Championships in Mexico. As the conditions at the World Championships in Mexico are at 1880m altitude, the athletes were trained on SIT’s hypoxic machine which simulates high altitudes. The SIT Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science 3rd year students ran the sessions and measured the performance of the athletes. The benefit of a hypoxic machine is that the athlete is able to live at sea level and then be able to adapt to altitudes up to 6000 metres.
Bike NZ Head Performance Coach Brendon Cameron says “We were very fortunate that SIT both had the necessary equipment and could accommodate us after short notice was given. The World Para-Cycling Champs were announced late in the UCI International racing calendar and the fact that they are competing at 1880m above sea level in Mexico meant we needed some specific altitude simulation training sessions. Will Payne SIT Sports and Exercise tutor oversaw the sessions held three times per week accompanied by a number of SIT students who used this experience as part of their studies. We are quietly confident about this team as we believe we have prepared wisely for the Championships by supporting our ongoing training with the altitude simulation training sessions.”
SIT Sports and Exercise Science tutor Will Payne says “it was a really good experience for the students to help out with world class athletes in a professional world championship environment.”
It’s really great that an organisation like Paralympics New Zealand requested SIT’s services.”
Photo from left to right : Laura Fairweather – NZ para-cyclist (world champion, world recorder holder) and SIT 3rd year Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science student David Watts
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