Yes We Can! A Phenomenological Study of a Sports Camp for Young People With Cerebral Palsy

in Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly

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Kenneth Aggerholm Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

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Kristian Møller Moltke Martiny University of Copenhagen

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2015-0135
Keywords:
bodily control; body image; body schema; embodiment; phenomenology
In Print:
Volume 34: Issue 4
Page Range:
362–381
Restricted access

This article contributes to the understanding of embodied practices and experiences within adapted physical activity. It presents a study of a 4-day winter sports camp for young people with cerebral palsy. The experiences of the participants were investigated through qualitative interviews. The findings are analyzed through a phenomenological framework of embodiment and the notions of body schema and body image. By paying special attention to the bodily experience of “I can,” this study shows that participants learned new ways of approaching challenges, gained bodily control in challenging situations, expanded their fields of possible actions through practicing, as well as learned to understand and accept themselves. These findings reveal central values of bodily interventions for people with cerebral palsy and have the potential to inform pedagogical work within the area of adapted physical activity.

Aggerholm is with the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway. Moltke Martiny is with the Dept. of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Address author correspondence to Kenneth Aggerholm at kenneth.aggerholm@nih.no.
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