EXPLORING THE OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY OF ADAPTIVE PADDLERS: DO THEY IDENTIFY AS ATHLETES?

Background: An acquired disability may disrupt self-identity and limit engagement in meaningful occupations (Laliberte-Rudman & Dennhardt 2008). The purpose of this study was to explore the occupational identity of adaptive... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
An acquired disability may disrupt self-identity and limit engagement in meaningful occupations (Laliberte-Rudman & Dennhardt 2008). The purpose of this study was to explore the occupational identity of adaptive paddlers and determine if they identify as athletes.
Method:
The mixed method study design included 10 adaptive paddlers with a physical disability whom competed at a national competition. Participants completed athletic identity and quality of life outcome measures. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 5 participants and thematically analysed. Word frequency function triangulated the findings; as seen in the word cloud represented in Figure 1.
Results:
Participants identified as an athlete, abled not disabled, a paddler, and family member. The majority of participants reported a higher overall quality of life than comparative samples with similar physical disabilities. There was no statistically significant difference found between participants’ athletic identity and the athletic identity of elite athletes with and without disabilities.
Conclusion:
Participants did identify as an athlete, as indicated by the AIMS and qualitative reports. They identified more specifically as a paddler in addition to being abled not disabled and a family member. The findings could be conceptualised through the Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner 2008) or identity theory, emphasising the complexity of one’s identity and their encompassment of a variety of roles.
Application to Practice:
This study suggested that occupational therapists should explore participation in adaptive sport for individual’s with an acquired disability to assist with maintaining a positive occupational identity, encouraging engagement in meaningful occupation and enhancing quality of life.