Ms Elma De Koker (from Marketing and Communications) informed us that, “Justin received the award because his research was the first of its kind and centred around investigating the effects of neuromuscular agitators, such as caffeine and post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) on key performance indicators in soccer and hockey goalkeepers. The results of his study showed that goalkeepers can meaningfully improve reactive diving and sprinting performances by either consuming 4 to 6 mg/kg body weight of caffeine or completing 40 plyometric jumps. He has also published two articles in academic journals”. Justin is from a small town (Elliot in the Eastern Cape), and says his days consisted of going to school and playing tennis for two to three hours and when he chose his field of study, he knew it had to be related to a career where he could be on the court/sports field and not behind a computer all day.
He’s love for sports started at the young age of four when he started playing tennis. “What I enjoy most about sport science is that it is a perfect combination of all the things I am passionate about, such as working with and teaching people, solving problems and being active. As a sport scientist you deal with athletes from all walks of life and it is important to build a good relationship with every athlete”, says Justin who speaks English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa. “I strive to bring positive energy into every room I enter and one by one have a positive impact on every person that comes across my path.” His dream job would be to work in Manchester United’s sport science department, he is a big fan of the team.
According to Justin’s lecturers he has always been an exceptional student at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He’s hard working nature and critical thinking ability is what assisted him to pass his Master’s dissertation with cum laude, which also led to two publications of his work. We wish Justin all the best with his PhD journey and career, we know that he will be a great success
This is what Justin’s Supervisor and two undergraduate lecturers had to say about him.
“Justin Impey is probably the student every supervisor dream about supervising. He is passionate and knowledgeable about sport and throughout his masters (and now his PhD) journey, it is clear that this isn’t about just getting a qualification, but actually making an impact on the industry. It has been inspiring to watch the way he interacts with his research participants and puts in the time and hard work on his research, bringing the same energy and enthusiasm at the end of a long day of testing as he brought in the morning sessions. He is also trilingual, and it has been amazing to see him interact with potential participants in English, Xhosa or Afrikaans. This ability also enables him to put people at ease. The fact that he can interact with participants from different cultures and discuss life and sport gives him this ability to humanise his participants instead of just treating them as a tool to get research from. This quality makes him not only a great practitioner, but the type of researcher, the sports industry needs. He is a highly skilled sport scientist with an interest in different sports including tennis and football. He played tennis from the age of 4 and his passion for sports, and the way he belongs on (or on the side of) the court or field were instrumental in his career choice. Justin has now progressed to his PhD and if any football playing people want to participate in his study (and get the opportunity to interact with a rising sport scientist), please get in touch”.
“Justin has always been a committed student, a student who learns from every situation, and who continues to teach me as supervisor new things in every interaction. Mrs Kock, who has previously lectured Justin in undergrad describes him as “an engaged and interactive student”. Dr Mark Kramer who has been there to witness Justin’s rise through the ranks has this to say: “Justin has been an exceptional student at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Within the Biomechanics modules Justin would always double-check the worked examples to try and tease out any possible computational mistakes. Justin would always put in extra effort with tasks and assignments to better engage with the work and to understand the content rather than merely try to memorise the work, which attests to his ability to think critically. The latter would ultimately stand out during his Master’s dissertation which he managed to pass with cum laude and led to 2 publications of his work. I have no doubt that the PhD journey that Justin had embarked on will be equally fruitful as will his academic and/or practical career should he choose that route.”
“Justin has used the characteristics that made him a successful student and started paying it forward. Justin has also always availed himself to get involved with practical’s or mentor students who choose to observe him while he is conducting his testing and while he continues to grow himself, he is also leaving an imprint on the students who follow. And hopefully HMS students seeing one of their own being recognised by the institution, will motivate a few more students to pursue postgraduate studies. As a supervisor, I am proud of his accomplishments, honoured to get to see his genius in action and excited to see how he helps shape the industry in the future”.
--Dr Khatija Bahdur(supervisor)