• Charles Sturt in Port Macquarie hosts ‘Becoming Sports Stars’ lecture on Thursday, 1 August
• Physiotherapy expert will share insights and evidence-based actions to overcome barriers which keep children with disabilities from participating in sport
• Latest in the ‘Exploration Series’ of public lectures held across Charles Sturt’s regional footprint

Overcoming the barriers which keep children with disabilities from participating in sport will be the central theme of the latest in Charles Sturt University’s (Charles Sturt) ‘Exploration Series’ of public lectures.

Charles Sturt School of Community Health physiotherapy lecturer, Ms Georgina Clutterbuck (pictured), will host the free event, titled ‘Becoming Sports Stars’, at Charles Sturt in Port Macquarie on Thursday, 1 August.

Her talk will examine the obstacles to participating in sport facing children with disabilities and their parents and carers, and the ways these can be overcome.

Ms Clutterbuck will explore public and professional perceptions of sport for children with disabilities, and offer evidence-based actions that can be taken by community members, allied health professionals and researchers to enhance the participation of children with disabilities in sport and physical recreation.

The lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Ms Clutterbuck.

The Faculty of Science lecturer’s experience with the subject matter includes a decade in the paediatric physiotherapy field, where she helped children with disabilities learn to move so they could play, learn and grow.

She also developed a practitioner-led sports group – named Sports Stars – aimed at growing sports participation numbers for children with disabilities, such as cerebral palsy.

“This public lecture brings together the work from my thesis, which I'm submitting in a couple of weeks, and discusses the implications of research into participation for children with disability in sport to the broader community,” Ms Clutterbuck said.

“It focusses on the small things that everyday people can do to make a difference in this area.”

The lecture will be held at 6.30pm on Thursday 1 August in Room 2048 at Charles Sturt in Port Macquarie.

Light refreshments will be provided.

People interested in attending are required to register, and can do so via the Events Page on the Charles Sturt website.

The next lecture in the Exploration Series will also be held at Charles Sturt in Port Macquarie.

Biologist Angela Frimberger will discuss climate change in her lecture, to be held on Thursday, 29 August.