In 1982, as Robert de Castella was powering his way to gold through the streets of Brisbane and the Queen was visiting the Nathan campus, David Thiel was embarking on an academic career at Griffith University.
Today, Professor David Thiel is a world-respected authority on elite athlete monitoring at the School of Engineering and the Built Environment and will have more than a passing interest in the fast-approaching Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).
“The world of athlete monitoring has changed immensely since 1982,” Professor Thiel (left) says.
“Athletes are now monitored 24/7 for movement, sleep, food, weight, etc. This technology has moved into commercially available products such as fitbits and smart phones. The use of wearable technology in preparing athletes for competition is almost universal.”
On Wednesday evening, before a public audience at Robina Library, Professor Thiel will explore the role of technology in the lives of elite athletes and the part it plays in diet, pre-competition training, recovery and minimising risk of injury.
He will be one of three Griffith University experts presenting insights into the minds and lives of athletes counting down to GC2018 in the latest edition of 2018 Inside Scoop.
He will be joined on stage from 6.30pm by Duncan Free OAM, Director of Griffith Sports College, and Dr Caroline Riot, a sport management researcher at Griffith Business School.
Olympic gold medallist and recent inductee into theQueensland Sport Hall of Fame,Duncan Free will delve into how a world-class athlete fine-tunes preparations for a major event with less than 50 days to competition.
Dr Riot will examine the business side of life as a successful elite athlete in the spotlight, from brand management to professional life after sport.
This will be the sixth instalment of 2018 Inside Scoop, which is hosted by City of Gold Coast Libraries, with the aim of giving local residents a unique lowdown and expert insight into the city’s preparations to host the biggest event in Australia this decade.
Entry is free and you can register online to be part of the audience at Robina Library on Wednesday night, February 21, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
