We are thrilled to introduce Max Thurston, passionate scientist, researcher, activist, and athlete as the Project Lead for HOPE’s Sports for Inclusion.
Max is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the United States, and he holds a B.A. in molecular biology from Colorado College, USA, and a M.Sc. in sport and exercise science from the University of Jyväskylä, in Finland. Max is currently pursuing his PhD in biomechanics and human movement science from the University of Jyväskylä, where he is investigating the potential of wearable robotic exoskeleton devices to improve mobility and walking function in children with Cerebral Palsy. Max’s master’s and doctorate studies have given him a strong foundation in research and methodology to study human movement, how movement is controlled, learned, and optimized, and how movement ability can be perturbed through injury to the central nervous system or other forms of physical disability. Through his sport science research working with children with Cerebral Palsy, Max also began to witness and learn about the unjust barriers that individuals with disabilities face in their everyday lives, and he began developing a sprouting determination to promote and advocate for the equal rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.
This budding determination mixed with a strong hunger for adventure drove Max on a miraculous bicycle journey across Europe, beginning in Helsinki, Finland and finishing in Lisbon, Portugal, covering 8,000 km over a 6-month period. Max used his ride to partner with and raise money for the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL), a non-profit organization that fights for equal human rights of people with disabilities across Europe, breaking down inaccessibility, segregating institutions, and ableist stigma, and working towards a Europe where all disabled people can participate equally in the community and live full and independent lives in the way they choose. Over his ride, Max learned countless valuable lessons about the ways disabled people continue to be discriminated and excluded across society, yet also how much people with disabilities have to contribute, and how we all benefit, disabled and non-disabled alike, from a more accessible, inclusive, and diverse world and how much the world is losing when people with disabilities don’t have the opportunity to achieve their potential. Max came away from his adventure with a burning resolve to use his career and skillset to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve their potential and thrive. Read more about Max’s bicycle journey on his blog page.
As the new Project Lead for HOPE’s flagship project, Sports for Inclusion, Max aims to blend his expertise in sport science and research with his strong passion for disability rights and justice. Max believes in the positive power of sport to break down barriers and stigma and promote inclusion. For Max, when we play together, we see each other as equals, teammates, and friends. This is in line with our vision to create an inclusive community where children and youth with different abilities are fully included in physical literacy, adaptive sports, games and creative arts.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Max from the HOPE family. We are excited to have you join us as we continue to advance towards a more inclusive Africa and world through sport, together with you!
