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AT-A-GLANCE PDF

Sarah Everhart Skeels, MPH (she/her/hers)

Lead Peer Health Coach Trainer & Co-Investigator
University of Toronto

Sarah Everhart Skeels, MPH brings 36 years of lived experience with spinal cord injury (SCI) to her work as a researcher, educator, and advocate for health and wellness in the SCI community. As a Co-Investigator on multiple interdisciplinary projects, she has helped shape peer-led interventions focused on self-management, physical activity, and quality of life. Sarah was instrumental in developing the SCI&U Peer Health Coaching (PHC) program, where she designed and led training for six PHCs with SCI and is now conducting qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups to evaluate program outcomes.

She has served in key roles on projects including My Care My Call, SCI-Lynx, and FIT-SCI, and was Lead Trainer in a study promoting physical activity among adolescents with disabilities. Sarah also helped coordinate a Tufts University project on assistive robotics for independent food preparation. Her expertise has contributed to federally funded research through Boston University’s NERSCIC and HDRI teams, focusing on pressure ulcer prevention and functional assessment tools for people with SCI.

Sarah’s commitment extends beyond research. She co-founded the Rhode Island SCI Support Group, volunteers as an adaptive ski instructor with New England Disabled Sports, and holds leadership roles in national adaptive sports organizations, including US Sailing. She has represented the U.S. in international Paralympic sailing competitions and serves on multiple advisory boards related to SCI care and women's health.

In addition to her research and advocacy work, Sarah lectures at Brown and Tufts Universities, teaching courses on disability studies, health promotion, and community-based programming. Her unique perspective as a peer mentor, researcher, and educator informs her leadership as U.S. Lead Peer Health Coach Trainer, advancing future work on the transformative impact of peer coaching in promoting long-term wellness and empowerment among people with SCI.

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