The U.S. National Firefighter Challenge was held on September 6-9, 2023, in Hoover, Alabama.
UAB School of Education kinesiology instructor Marissa Bello, Ph. D. opens a new website, collaborated with colleagues at the University of Montevallo, Emily Langford, Ph. D., and Robert Herron, Ph. D., to collect research data on firefighters competing in the U.S. National Firefighter Challenge opens a new website.
The research team, which included Bello, Langford, Herron, and kinesiology students from UAB and Montevallo, collected a survey on behaviors and demographics, measured body composition, and checked the hydration status of the competitors. They also looked at the performance of firefighters competing throughout the week in individual, tandem, and relay events through heart rate monitoring and race splits. Several UAB students were involved in the research project, working closely with faculty to collect data and submit abstracts to a regional conference for the American College of Sports Medicine.
"Collecting data at the Firefighter Challenge was an incredible learning opportunity," says Riley Gray, senior kinesiology major who assisted Bello with research at the event. "It was beneficial to learn how to research while also gaining a greater appreciation for what type of physical demands firefighters must be able to handle so that they can serve their communities well."
"This is a great community of people who do so much for us as public servants," said Jaret Kehl, a kinesiology student who assisted Bello with research at the event. "It was rewarding to see how we can help them improve their fitness and continue their service as much as possible, which we hope we will learn about through the research we conducted during their competitions."
In addition to kinesiology students collecting research data, several students in the Kinesiology program volunteered their time throughout the week to help with the course.
"I helped reset the mannequin on the course after each race," said Bella Fancher, a kinesiology student at UAB. "Volunteering at the event was such a fun opportunity to see the runs up close, and it was inspiring to see the resiliency displayed by each competitor."
"I had a ton of fun volunteering and was excited to help the fire departments that put out a fire in my neighborhood a little over a year ago!" said Sophie Bodiford, a kinesiology student at UAB.
To learn more about research opportunities in the UAB School of Education's kinesiology program, contact
