Study Sport, Exercise & Recreation at SIT

Research by Hennie Pienaar and Will Payne into the biomechanics and muscle activation patterns of elite track sprint cyclists aims at enhancing the performance of New Zealand’s top cycling athletes. ​

Hennie is an accredited exercise physiologist with a Masters in Human Movement Science and has been teaching in the Bachelor of Sport and Exercise programme since 2002. His colleague Will Payne, tutor on the Bachelor of Sport and Exercise degree programme, is a sports nutritionist with a Masters of Human Nutrition, a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Medicine and a Bachelor of Physical Education and Human Nutrition from the University of Otago. Since 2011 Will and Hennie have been using their combined expertise to carry out research aimed at improving the performance of New Zealand’s top cycling athletes. In 2013 they shared their findings at the Sports and Exercise Science New Zealand Annual Conference in Christchurch. Their findings were presented at the conference in the novel form of an animated e-poster, presented on a large HD television screen, and the pair came away with the Best Presenters Award.

The New Zealand track sprint team has had an outstanding few years, coming from a ranking of fifth in the world in 2009 to winning silver at the World Championships in 2013 and coming fifth at the London Olympics where they also broke the New Zealand record. The research by Hennie and Will focused on a vital aspect that may have led to improving the speed of the first lap of the race. As Hennie explains, ‘we carried out a series of tests on elite cyclists in order to analyse that first lap, including the starting sequence of track cyclists.’ They applied biomechanical principles to make recommendations that may have contributed towards improvements in the standing start performance. They were also able to gain a better understanding of muscle activation patterns in the first lap in sprint cycling including how these are involved in force and power development.

Twelve highly trained, elite sprint cyclists took part in the study. Testing was done under controlled conditions at the ILT Velodrome in Invercargill and in the Southern Institute of Technology’s Human Performance Laboratory. From video analysis of the higher ranked riders Hennie and Will found that timing is crucial in order to avoid losing time during the start. ‘Initiating drive from the gate either too early or too late can cost a team as much as one second off the overall time,’ says Will. ‘That might not sound like much but, when you consider that the New Zealand team lost the gold medal to Germany in 2013 by 0.049 of a second, then you can see how vital it is to get off to a good start.’ Cyclists must have their push-off timed to the moment the gate releases and, after rolling straight out of the gate, they need to apply coordinated pressure through the pedals to accelerate up to speed.

A successful race-winning start requires the cyclists to be able to optimise a complex series of actions. ‘They need to push off from the gate as it releases, drive their bodies forward and initiate proper mechanics for the first pedal stroke,’ Hennie says. ‘The fastest starters tend to be those cyclists who are able to coordinate these three actions.’ 

​Programme Manager

Duncan McKenzie
MEd – PE/LS, University of Western Australia.
Dip PhEd, University of Otago.
Dip Teaching, Christchurch Teachers College

Faculty Staff

Hennie Pienaar
MSc, Human Movement Sciences, University of Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Dip Teaching, Southern Institute of Technology

Dr Michel Fallu
Ph.D. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
BA (Hons), Leisure Management, Griffith University

William Payne
MSc (Nutrition), PG Dip Sport Med, B PhEd, BSc Nutrition, University of Otago

Dr Brian Batson
PhD, University of Wales.
BSc (Hons), University of Wales.
Cert Tutor Training, Southern Institute of Technology

Damian Tippen - Technician
PG Dip Sport Med, B PhEd, BSc. University of Otago

​Research

Click here to view recent research outputs by these School of Sport, Exercise and Recreation staff.

Fighting, falling, horse riding and swordplay – they’re just some of the things that make up a normal day at the office for stuntman Vincent Roxburgh. So too, does training actors in weapon safety, strength, fitness and flexibility and it’s in that area that SIT2LRN has helped him. We caught up with Vincent while he was working in Namibia on the next instalment of the blockbuster Mad Max movie series.

Vincent Roxburgh practically stumbled into stunt work – probably the one time that he hasn’t made a calculated move. The Invercargill-born lad, who now calls Auckland home, was preparing for the Wrestling World Championships in 1999 at the team’s training gym, when he was introduced to the Lord of the Rings stunt team.

“They would use the gym after our training sessions. I would hang around after wrestling to train with them. One thing led to another and they offered me a job.”

Now he sports a CV that boasts the titles of all the great feature films made in New Zealand during the past decade – including the LOTR trilogy, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, Avatar and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – and several TV series, including Spartacus.

But as a qualified sports massage therapist, with several years’ experience of physical training and coaching behind him, Vincent felt there was a gap in his skill set. He decided to study for a Certificate in Sports Training and Development.

“I chose to do this course as I am constantly training actors, whether that's in how to use a weapon safely or taking them through a strength/fitness workout in the gym (we often have our own gyms set up at work), running them through basic gymnastics or taking stretching sessions.  I had never done any formal exercise prescription training and I felt that it could help me with that aspect of my job.

“I chose SIT2LRN to do it through because, at the time, I was working on The Hobbit and there was no way I could get to a regular classroom-based course.” 

Instead, he was able to download the course material onto his computer and work on the content during downtime on the job.

“At one point I was on location in the middle of the Southern Alps - where it was helicopter access only - and there I was, doing anatomy and physiology in an easy-up tent! It was so convenient.”

Vincent says he really enjoyed the SIT2LRN experience because the course covered all the elements he wanted it to.

“It is an entry level course which really served to whet my appetite and I really want to advance my study in this area.”

Just when that study will take place is the question. “One thing about working in film and TV is you need to be flexible, because you can get a call up for a job and they may want you on a plane today for destinations unknown. “

Vincent was based in Wellington for 18 months while he worked on The Hobbit, finishing there in June. Once he completes his Mad Max commitments in Namibia, he’ll be heading to Hong Kong with his wife who has secured a new job there. “I need to try and break into the industry over there. It feels a bit like starting again but it's an exciting prospect.”

And what about those brows?

“The eyebrows are natural. I've had them since birth and I had to grow into them as they've always been this big.”

A local girl with a passion for cycling as well as sport and exercise in general, Kate Wilson said it was a no brainer to study at the Southern Institute of Technology.

“It’s in my hometown, it has the Zero Fees scheme and it had the programme I wanted to study.”

Kate finds the course to be “really good, there is always a new challenge and something new to learn.”

SIT is well equipped with excellent facilities and the Diploma in Sport and Recreation involves spending half the time in a classroom environment and half out doing physical activity. This suits Kate as she loves getting out and getting involved.

Coming straight to SIT from high school, Kate did have some experience coaching and teaching young primary aged students, especially within the cycling discipline. Her experience in this area and passion for sport and exercise, has led her to think about her future plans once she has completed her diploma. At the moment, she is thinking she will either train as a Physical Education teacher or go on to do a Masters. Whatever she chooses, Kate will attack it with as much motivation as she did in order to take out the Sport Southland Award for 2016.

“SIT has definitely changed me as a person. I am a lot more confident in my physical abilities, as well as mentally. I am willing to learn and I intend to learn as much as possible while I am here.”

Third-year Bachelor of Sport and Exercise student Brittany Souter hopes her research project will enlighten Netball South as to how umpires’ decisions are affected.

Brittany Souter (20), in her third year of the Bachelor of Sport and Exercise, is researching national and international umpires and how crucial decisions may be affected in the later stages of a game. 

“It’s just about seeing how their concentration is affected as they umpire a game and by the end of the game, how it’s affecting their decisions,” she says. 

Souter says she had been a prominent member of coaching and umpiring in Southland and hoped her research might be used at Netball South to help young umpires.

“There are 11 to 12 year olds that are getting the hang of umpiring and the rules,” she says.

“I think it would be good to show [Netball South] that these junior umpires are starting out and how it can affect their judgement when they’re learning.”

Souter is compiling some of the research during her work placement at Netball South and says SIT has given her ample opportunities coaching and umpiring in the community.

“It was easy for them to help me get out and do things in the community. At school you don’t really get that chance but SIT helped me get in contact with more places,” she says.

“[SIT] has given me lots more opportunities that I’ve never had before, just being able to do more things.”

Softly spoken Isaiah is not the ‘gym bunny’ type you might imagine. Instead, he comes across as intelligent and passionate about the field he has chosen to study.  

Having completed a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise and now following it up with postgraduate study leading into the Master of Applied Health Sciences (Wellness and Rehabilitation), Isaiah harbours the goal of one day opening a rehabilitation gym in his home town of Nelson, or perhaps Wellington.

Growing up in Nelson, Isaiah still enjoys the more relaxed pace of regional life and this helped contribute to his decision to move to Invercargill for study. The university lifestyle to be found in cities like Dunedin didn’t appeal as it seemed like too many students, with a less personal feel.

“I enjoy the small class sizes at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT). It’s more hands on, you get to know your lecturers and get a lot of one-on-one learning time.”

Isaiah has always enjoyed sports but since his studies he has relished discovering more about how the body works and this has impacted on his personal life, making him realise how important it is to eat healthy and to exercise.

Working part-time at SIT’s gym, Isaiah advises that there is no typical day in the life of a postgraduate/masters student. Some days he has classes, others he works on his research, or at the gym.

With a particular interest in sports injuries, Isaiah’s rehab gym will no doubt become a reality at the culmination of his Masters study.

Recent Bachelor of Sport and Exercise graduate and world champion, Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Eddie Dawkins chose to study with SIT to enhance his strengthening and conditioning knowledge, and to help him gain the skills he needed to improve his cycling.

Eddie enrolled at SIT after completing high school and with some encouragement from his, then trainer Will Payne and at that time Will was also tutoring at SIT.

Eddie says that studying and training under Will’s directive and having unlimited access to the indoor facilities at the SIT  Zerofees Velodrome, were both strong catalysts towards his career success.

Initially, Eddie wasn’t representing New Zealand very often, so his sport didn’t interfere with his study, however that soon changed and SIT continued to support his educational goals.

“Will has always had my best interests at heart,” he says.

 He has been in my ear to complete this degree since 2008.

“Even though I wasn’t completing the course in the recommended timeframe, SIT and Will have been very supportive of my study and cycling. They understood that cycling had to take precedence over everything else.”

Now looking towards the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, both Eddie and Will decided it was time to give his study a nudge towards the finish line.

Will says he has found training Eddie a rewarding experience. He has watched Eddie grow from a young man fresh out of high school with big ambitions, to a successful, world renowned cyclist with a very bright future.

“Eddie has worked extremely hard with both his cycling and study.

“He has grown up over the past years and post-cycling he will do wonderful things with his interest in the conditioning side of things.”

Eddie is thrilled to be in Invercargill for his graduation ceremony and is looking forward to continuing with study, recently enrolling in the ASCA Strength Conditioning Programme, a programme many Cycling NZ staff and coaches have also completed.

“In the future I would like to get into coaching, or perhaps pursuing another sport,” he says.

A multi-disciplined athlete and accomplished sportswoman, Wendy Baker decided to undertake the Certificate in Sports Training and Development (Level 3) through the Southern Institute of Technology’s SIT2LRN distance learning programme, as she was keen to obtain a qualification.

She was living in Wanganui at the time and was wanting to study whilst working part time as a pool lifeguard.

“It was a really good course with plenty of information in it,” says Wendy.

After graduating, she was employed for 18 months as a Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator in Wanganui, helping people with mental illness.

Wendy was able to utilise her knowledge from the programme to help them prepare for or resume their recovery.

As a sportswoman, she has participated in over 150 events in both New Zealand and Australia and is passionate about training and keeping fit.

“It all started because as a teenager I had asthma, so I took up running to improve my health,” Wendy says.

She was named Massey University Sportsperson of the Year alongside retired All Black Kevin Schuler in 1987.

Nominated by her Massey University harrier team, whilst studying her Diploma in Horticulture, Wendy was recognised as the top-ranked woman athlete at Massey and in the Manawatu over middle distance events, both road and cross country.

Wendy has now moved to Invercargill and was thrilled to be able to catch up with one of her tutors and chat about how far she has come since completing the course.

In the future she is keen to pursue further study in project management.

Levi Goodall came to the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) after completing a year at Otago University.

He didn’t enjoy his time at university and decided to pursue different study options.

“I researched SIT’s sport and exercise programme and found out a little bit about it from some of the tutors.

“I found out that it is very hands-on, falls within the Zero Fees scheme and has small class sizes. That made it a very easy decision to choose SIT."

Levi enjoyed sport from a young age and participated in a wide range of sports including football, softball, cross country running and track cycling.

Now he is a sponsored freestyle mountain bike rider who competes internationally.

Support from SIT tutors meant Levi was able to balance his riding commitments with the study requirements.

He particularly enjoyed the hands-on components like leading an outdoor adventure-based learning activity session, running class teaching sessions and industry placement hours.

“I quickly found that I was enjoying myself and learning a lot,” he says.

As part of his degree he completed an internship with Sport Southland.

“I assisted with the running of events such as 'Surf to City' and the 'Wai Tri', helped with keeping their databases up to date, assisted in running exercise classes for elderly and various other jobs around Sport Southland.

“My favourite experience so far was working alongside the Foundation for Youth Development running school sports holiday programmes.”

In the future, Levi would like to be working at management level within a sporting organisation which specialises in work with children or youth.

Check out his Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_IJXqykoKJP1CXL2betSQ

Originally from Auckland, Tyson Huia moved to Melbourne as a teenager. After completing his secondary schooling in Australia he decided to return to New Zealand to join the Army as part of the 21st Royal Infantry Regiment.
Throughout his time in the army he was deployed to the Solomon Islands, East Timor and Afghanistan. 
Tyson got married and soon left the military to travel overseas on new adventures, before eventually settling back in New Zealand where he decided to pursue his long-held interest in all things sporting, studying at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT).
“I chose to study a bachelor in Sport and Exercise with the goal of becoming a strength and conditioning coach,” he says.
SIT’s Zero Fees scheme helped seal Tyson and his wifes decision to move south, where she secured a full-time position with Netball South.
Throughout his three years at SIT, Tyson managed to explore varous avenues of the industry he intended working within, and upon his graduation in 2018, he was successful in obtaining the position of Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach for Academy Southland.
“I oversee the annual strength and conditioning programs for athletes who are a part of various groups, such as Academy Southland, Southern Performance Cycling Hub, and Netball South,” Tyson says.
“The role also supports the Southland Phoenix Synchronized Swimming and the Southland United Football.”
Tyson found both the course and tutors helped him to understand the foundations of strength and conditioning.
“The tutors at the School of Sport and Exercise were outstanding at SIT, and for me personally, Heni was very supportive with providing progressive steps to ensure I succeeded in my final year,” he says.
“I found the facilities impressive, especially with the Human Performance Centre, which helped me apply theory to practice, especially while using the V02 metabolic chart..”
Although not a local, Tyson says he found the community supportive and the ILT stadium world class.
“As a student, I found the SIT Zero Fees Velodrome to be extraordinary and now, with the Mike Piper Training Centre used for the top athletes, I don’t think you would get this experience anywhere else.
“As a Maori with Niuean connections, I also spent most of my spare time at the Student Support Centre, based in Te Pakiaka at SIT. The support helped ease the workload with my time at SIT, and allowed me to connect with other indigenous networks.”
In his first year at SIT, Tyson found part-time employment with the help of Student Services, and then with networking he was able to find other positions in the industry from there.
“Based on my experiences so far, my advice would be to be a genuine person – learn to evaluate everything you do and work as hard as you can, because eventually, you will get noticed.”
Tyson would like to complete his Masters in Applied Science and hold an Australian Strength and Conditioning Accreditation Level 2 by 2020.
“The aim is to build on the current strength and conditioning program for Academy Southland and support its direction,” he says.