Palm Beach North Sports - April 2023

A p r i l 2 0 2 3 | P A L M B E A C H N O R T H SPORTS 15 SPORTS SPOTLIGHT From a young age, Dr. Fereshteh Ahmadabadi fell in love with sports. The excitement of watching events on TV quickly led her to the gym to learn gymnastics. From there, her path into a sporting career was set for life. “I became involved in other team sports such as handball, futsal, and aerobics,” Dr. Ahmadabadi said. “Eventually, I studied Exercise Science at university and, along the way, I also got my coach certifications in gymnastics, aerobic gymnastics, and physical fitness.” Following these accomplishments, Fereshteh completed her master’s thesis comparing the effects of acute and long-term static and dynamic warm-up protocols on physical and motor performance in female gymnasts. She published several peer- reviewed papers on this topic, leading to her position with Keiser University as a Professor of Exercise and Sport Science. A memorable sporting moment for Fereshteh is a personal one. In July 2011, she competed in her first national Olympiad of public and recreational sports. During the triathlon, she stopped to help her opponent fix her bike. While she lost the winning time, she and her opponent received the Fair Play award for the tournament. In times like this, and through her career so far, Fereshteh has learned many important values: teamwork, organization, communication, self-discipline, and courtesy. “Exercise can lead to a unique state of short-term relaxation. That relaxation can promote increased concentration, better memory, enhanced creativity, more effective problem-solving skills, and lead to improvements in mood.” Fereshteh said. These are all benefits that extend into the classroom where Dr. Ahmadabadi inspires her students to become the best in their fields. “Sports have the power to change lives,” Dr. Ahmadabadi said. “Sports enhance the ability to drive gender equality by teaching women and girls about teamwork, self- reliance, resilience, and confidence.” Her advice to female athletes is “to become the best in your field, including getting a higher education and becoming excellent professionals.” North Palm Beach Country Club • Golf • Pool • Tennis • Dinning Open to the Public 501 US Highway 1 North Palm Beach, FL 33408 Phone: 561-841-3380 Meet Dr. Fereshteh Ahmadabadi, Exercise and Sport Science Program Professor at Keiser University By Rebecca Jensen | Photo courtesy of Keiser University