The first time Roxy O’Rourke, a PhD student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), attended the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) conference, she went to a session led by upper year PhD students and recent graduates about how to successfully navigate a doctoral program.
Her main takeaway was to get a ‘dissertation dog’ to help support her health while studying for her degree.
“I went through some physical health challenges during my comprehensive exams that really impacted my mental health,” says O’Rourke. “It was around this time that I opted to follow through with the ‘dissertation dog’ advice.’”
O’Rourke rescued Bailey from St. Lucia earlier this year and ever since then they’ve been leaning on each other for emotional support. Bailey was there to shoulder some of the stress while O’Rourke wrote and defended her PhD proposal, and O’Rourke stood by Bailey all through the night when she had an allergic reaction to treats earlier this month.
In fact, it was the morning after that sleepless night that O’Rourke found out that she was one of only ten doctoral students to be awarded the Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) to Honour Nelson Mandela.
“I was still in the middle of dealing with the aftermath of Bailey’s allergic reaction and running on no sleep when I got the news,” says O’Rourke, who tweeted about her relief at getting the news after pulling an all-nighter with Bailey. “I am so incredibly appreciative of the funding and award title, which will help me with living expenses over the next few years as I complete my program of research.”
After an all-nighter with a ++sick pup, I fully broke down receiving the news that I am one of 10 Doctoral students to receive the 2022 CGS to Honour Nelson Mandela. @SSHRC_CRSH knew I needed a little pick me up today…and I could not be more shocked… pic.twitter.com/Fo01CW9MJJ
— Roxy O'Rourke (@RoxyHORourke) October 3, 2022
The scholarship recognizes and supports graduate students conducting research in one or more of five areas that Mandela championed during his lifetime: national unity, democracy, freedom and human rights, leadership, children’s participation in society, and children’s health.
As part of her research project, O’Rourke will be interviewing para sport athletes about their experiences of mental health and mental illness, in and outside of the para sport setting. She hopes to learn from them about what they feel are key contributors to positive or negative mental health experiences within para sport. Her end goal is to co-create a mental health intervention that can be applied to para athletes alone or to others who the para athletes identify as having an impact on their mental health experiences.
“People with physical disabilities are at risk of experiencing social isolation, which can contribute to mental health challenges and mental illness,” says O’Rourke. “While sport is one context that fosters social inclusion and well-being amongst individuals with physical disabilities, poor quality experiences in sport may contribute to mental illness.
“Learning of the sport experiences of athletes with physical disabilities specific to mental health and illness may contribute to an understanding of athletes’ needs in para sport and how to foster conditions that lead to social inclusion and positive mental health.”
Fully recovered from her allergic reaction, Bailey the dissertation dog is keen to do her part in this next phase of O’Rourke’s doctoral student life.