Jo-Anne Hurd Laurentian Human Kinetics Alumni 1987: Kinesiologist, Ergonomics Health Specialist

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of interviewing Jo-Anne Hurd, a Human Kinetics Kinesiology Alumni. Jo-Anne graduated from Laurentian in 1987, then jumped right into working within the Human Kinetics field with great success. She first started off as an instructor, and later a manager at Goodlife Fitness. Working there, she acquired a great deal of hands on knowledge of injuries and injury prevention. Not long after, Jo-Anne was asked by a friend who was a Physiologist to help start up a clinic and work as a Kinesiologist. This is when she began working in a clinical setting. As the Kinesiologist at the physiotherapy clinic, Jo-Anne focused on exercise physiology and rehabilitative exercise therapy programs. In Jo-Anne’s opinion, this is where her Physiology and Biomechanics classes from Laurentian really helped her succeed. Not only was Jo-Anne working at the clinic, but she also ran the WSIB (Work Place Safety and Insurance Board) Working Claims Clinic. In this position she taught stretching classes, as well as provided one on one treatments for those in the workplace suffering from chronic pain, such as tendonitis. Her time with the WSIB later sparked an interest in occupational health and ergonomics. It was Jo-Anne’s free spirit and willingness to try any and all opportunities that came her way that really lead to her success in her field.

Like the majority of students going through Post Secondary, Jo-Anne only had a rough idea of what she wanted to be doing after she graduated. She knew that she wanted to work within the Human Kinetics field, and was inspired by her own injuries to work within the realm of injury rehabilitation. She let this inspiration guide her career path, which is something that every student can learn from.

We also dove into Ms. Hurd’s memories of her time at Laurentian. When asked about her toughest courses she was quick to mention second year Anatomy and Statistics. This has not changed, as I’m sure most Human Kinetics students can tell you. However, as far as Jo-Anne’s favourite courses and activities, the hands on labs, coaching in the field, and Outdoor School were her fondest memories. Outdoor School in third year was particularly Jo-Anne’s favourite, when her class participated in the portage and camping trip. The way we prepare for the trip now seems a little different than how they did it in Jo-Anne’s year. She had a great story to share about putting peanut butter in tubes to use during the trip, as well as only being given two matches for starting campfires! Jo-Anne, being the quick thinker she is, made sure to pick the strongest person in her class to be in her canoe so that she wouldn’t have to suffer through carrying it.

Nowadays Jo-Anne runs her own business called “Hurd about Health Ergonomics.” She is an Ergonomic Health Specialist, and part of her job consists of going into workplaces including; mining, manufacturing, hospitals, etc., to try and reduce the wear and tear on the musculoskeletal system that is being acquired through the workplace. It is all about reducing the risk of injury that could happen over a long or short term amount of time. During her time working at the clinic, Jo-Anne saw many of the same injuries and returning patients, which they referred to as ‘lifers,' who continued to suffer from the same injuries over and over from their workplace. Jo-Anne intuitively thought that if something could be changed at the source of the injury, then it could ultimately be prevented from reoccurring. Thus, her interest in the ergonomic field was born. As Jo-Anne puts it; “there will always be workplaces, there will always be injuries, and I like what I do.”

We would like the thank Jo-Anne Hurd again for sharing her story with us, and teaching us that not having a set plan for what to do after graduation does not mean you will be unsuccessful. She is living proof that as long as you have the passion for your work, the drive to seek out opportunities, and the willingness to try new things, there will always be success to be found.