When UTC graduate student Kimberly S. Fasczewski earned first place for her research poster presentation at the 2011 Tennessee Psychological Association (TPA) Annual Convention, she received $100 and a surprising offer to meet Lance Armstrong.
Fasczewski competed as a cyclist for a decade before enrolling in graduate school. Last year she raced for UTC and won a gold medal in the Division 2 National Cyclocross Championships.
Her research is directly related to her passion for cycling. For years, she noticed the differences between the way men and women race.
“Men tend to quit mid-race if they aren’t doing well,” Fasczewski observed. “Women tend to push on and finish even though they are way off the back.”
What she has been observing anecdotally has become part of a two-part study. She has poured over the results of numerous races, compiling data on the ages and genders or 1,200 participants. The research supports her earlier observations.
During the holiday break, Fasczewski will analyze 500 responses she received from the participants she studied. She is looking at what determined the motivation for male and female cyclists—are they competitive in ways that are extrinsically, ego-centric or intrinsically-oriented?
Fasczewski was honored to take first prize at the peer-reviewed poster session, where all graduate students from Tennessee was invited to attend. She calls her UTC advisor Dr. Bart Weathington “awesome.”
And then there’s the opportunity for Fasczewski to meet Lance Armstrong.
The offer came through a TPA board member who sponsors Armstrong’s team, according to Dr. Nicky Ozbek, professor of psychology. Fasczewski has received an email communication about a future meeting, and she looks forward to talking with the cycling legend.
