Lisanne, Chief Human Power, is an international student at the VU University Amsterdam who is also very excited to be part of PULSE Racing. Below her personal experience.
Lisanne
When I started working with PULSE, I wasn’t quite sure what I could expect. I had some experience working with disabled athletes and individuals with neurodegenerative diseases but have never had the chance to work with innovative assistive technologies such as functional electrical stimulation and athletes with a complete spinal cord injury. When I first met our athletes Mo and Sander, I was amazed at how driven, self-sufficient and determined they both are. Unfortunately, there is a certain stigma surrounding disabled individuals and wheelchair users which ultimately leads to an entirely wrong perception of who they are as a person and what they can actually do and accomplish despite their seemingly restrictive possibilities. However, getting to know Mo and Sander has immediately diminished any preconception I so wrongly had. Their optimism, positivity, and determination make them extraordinary athletes and an enrichment for every team. Working together with the two of them and an entire team of ambitious students has rapidly become one of my favourite things about PULSE Racing. Our goal to improve the use and spread the existence of assistive technologies that allow people with a spinal cord injury to gain back mobility and vitality has become an aim the entire team can identify with. Putting theoretical knowledge into practical use while working together with a professional team is definitely an experience one can only benefit from and I can recommend to anybody who is looking to make a contribution to science and the community.