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Classification Experiences Of Para Sport Athletes, Megan Kalbfleisch

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to examine the Para sport classification experiences of Canadian high-performance athletes, and how their experiences shaped their embodied perceptions of themselves during classification. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with five participants. Using interpretive content analysis, the data was analyzed with an embodiment framework. The findings demonstrated that both classification experiences of Para sport athletes, and how athletes constructed their understanding of classification. The results show that athletes accepted the bodily experience of the classification process in different ways; 1) as a necessary pathway to sport, or 2) as a medicalized gaze upon the …