UQ sports research on the
world stage
ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games
In 1999, Marguerite King jumped out of a rowing boat and ran up the hill to make an 8am lecture for her UQ Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree.
Fast forward to 2021 and the two-time world champion rower and Australian Olympian is back after completing her degree, researching wearable technology and machine learning techniques.
Marguerite King
Mrs King conducted the research as part of her industry supported PhD, a collaboration between The University of Queensland’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Queensland Academy of Sport and, Water Polo Australia.
Together with her supervisors and co-authors, Professor Bill Vicenzino, Dr Amy Lewis, and Dr Kate Watson, her aim is to develop a monitoring tool which would allow coaches, athletes and support staff to monitor upper limb movement and use the information for training or recovery from injury.
“Approximately 25 per cent of all training time is lost to shoulder injuries in water polo and I found this, as a clinician, incredibly frustrating and really felt for athletes who went through these injuries,” Mrs King said.
“It motivated me to try and find a practical solution to getting better information that could be applied in a real-life, front-line context.
“This tool will greatly assist with athlete availability through better information for coaches in planning training as well as making athlete rehabilitation and return to sport following injury a more efficient process.”
Marguerite King
Marguerite King
Taking the study to the Sports Medicine Australia conference this year, Mrs King’s team, together with co-author, Dr Nathalia Da Costa, conducted interviews with national coaches, athletes and support staff, who agreed that a tool measuring upper limb activities would be incredibly beneficial- especially for improving communication, collaboration and consistency.
Following this feedback, they put the technology into practice with water polo players, reporting it could classify common upper limb activities during standardised baseline testing with moderate to high accuracy.
The findings were recently presented at the International Olympic Committee World Conference on prevention of injury and illness in sport.
“The conference happens every three years and is arguably the most highly regarded sports medicine conference in the world. It was an incredible opportunity to present our findings and also showcase UQ, the Queensland Academy of Sport and Water Polo Australia on the world stage,” Mrs King said.
“We were unable to travel to Monaco ourselves due to the COVID pandemic, however our amazing colleagues Ciara McCallion and Sarah-Jane McDonnell at the Irish Institute of Sport presented on our behalf.
“With Brisbane confirmed to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032 all eyes are on us at the moment, and it was an incredible opportunity to show the quality of research that is happening in this space not only in Australia or Queensland, but at UQ itself.”
Having experienced both sides, Mrs King says the 2032 Games will present opportunities for researchers and athletes alike.
“I think Brisbane 2032 will bring the best researchers together to work collaboratively on problems affecting athletes, coaches and support staff,” Mrs King said.
“At the Queensland Academy of Sport, embedding researchers within the ‘front-line’ of sport with athletes, coaches and support staff will bring huge opportunities for further collaboration and investigation.
“Having that familiarity with the competition venues for local athletes will be a huge bonus and I am looking forward to supporting local athletes during this period. I can’t wait to see Australian crowds get behind the athletes.
“My husband, Tom King, attended and won Gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in sailing, and always speaks about the home country advantage that came from a home Games.”
Image Credit: Nick Garrett
Image Credit: Nick Garrett
Image Credit: Marguerite King
Image Credit: Marguerite King
Image Credit: Nick Garrett
Mrs King competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the lightweight double scull event, and in the lightweight double skull and quad sculls at various world championships.
“I received a UQ Sport scholarship in 2001 and was amazed that they had faith in me to go further in the sport,” Mrs King said.
“From there I made my first Australian under-23 rowing team in 2002 while I was in my fourth year of study.
“Thanks to Emeritus Professor Gwen Jull, Professor Bill Vicenzino and the amazing UQ Physiotherapy team, I was able to complete my final year over two years.
“In 2002, I also received a University Sporting Blue which I still have on my wall and was lucky to win UQ Sports Woman of the Year in 2002 and 2003.”
Image Credit: Marguerite King
The Queensland Academy of Sport was also pivotal during her Olympic journey, supporting her while on a scholarship from 2001 to 2004.
“Receiving that support made me really want to work at the Queensland Academy of Sport to help athletes to achieve their goals,” Mrs King said.
“I have been involved with the rowing programs at the academy, but now I work exclusively with the water polo program as their physiotherapist.”
Mrs King completed a UQ Master of Physiotherapy in the fields of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Sports Physiotherapy and then returned again to UQ in 2020 to start her PhD.
Image Credit: Marguerite King
“I still continue to row with the UQ Boat Club and I really enjoyed watching fellow members Caitlin Cronin and Ria Thompson win a bronze medal in Tokyo,” Mrs King said.
“I’ve also recently been honoured with a life membership at the UQ Boat Club which I feel incredibly humbled and grateful to receive.
“UQ’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has always provided amazing teachers and collaborators. Coming back for the fourth time was a key part of reconnecting and working with these amazing teachers and researchers to work on a very practical problem.”
Image Credit: Marguerite King
Image Credit: Marguerite King
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