Dr. Fabiana Turelli

Biography

Dr. Fabiana Turelli is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba. Turelli's undergraduate (monograph) and master's degrees focused on martial arts in Brazil and her PhD, carried out in Europe (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, with research visits in Scotland and Italy), studied women's Spanish Olympic karate squad (Cum Laude thesis award and International PhD).


Turelli's postdoctoral study in Australia searched for ways to bring theory into practice in a struggle against social issues targeting change in sport, thus delving into intersectionality as theory, methodology and a way of thinking. Her research program is critical, inviting to continuous reflexivity by combining concepts of critical theory, feminism, sociology of sport, critical pedagogies, and intersectionality. 

Being a martial arts and combat sports (MACS) practitioner for several years, she advocates for the potential of MACS to holistically and sustainably empower while healing people, especially those identifying as women. She is enthusiastic about bold, creative, disrupting methodologies and possibilities for knowledge generation, mobilization, and dissemination.

Education

  • Postdoctoral study, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University Melbourne, Australia
  • PhD, Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid and Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain
  • MEd, Education Centre, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
  • B.Ed. and BSc (Hons), Physical Education and Sport, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Research summary

Dr. Turelli is interested in social justice in sport, specifically investigating how embodied subalternity impacts and shapes sports people to conform to norms and how to "reshape" embodiments. Her research is developed following qualitative approaches, supported by a long journey of ethnographies, self-questioning autoethnographies and participatory action research where participants become co-creators in research.

Recent publications

Turelli, F., Vaz, A. F., & Kirk, D. (2025). Power dynamics in gendered sports karate: Inclusivity and Hierarchies. In: Jennings, G., Piedra de la Cuadra, J., & Rodríguez Sánchez, A. R. (Orgs.) Martial Arts in Latin Societies. Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society.

Turelli, F., Kirk, D., & Vaz, A. F. (2024). "Oss! Embracement of Catastrophic Masculinity Through Hazing Practices in Three Martial Arts Performed in Brazil", johnson, j. and Chin, J. W. (Ed.) Cultures of Sport Hazing and Anti-Hazing Initiatives for the 21st Century (Research in the Sociology of Sport, Vol. 23), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 27-46.

Turelli, F., Kirk, D., & Vaz, A. F. (2024). Una paradoja del poder: Mujeres karatecas, nuevos espacios y violencia. Staps, Fuera de serie(HS), 43-55.

Luguetti, C., Turelli, F., Speranza, D., Wachter, J., & Konjarski, L. (2024). Pre-service teachers' experiences of an activist approach in a health and physical education teacher education context. European Physical Education Review, 1-17.

Rodrigues, A. I. C., Turelli, F.,  & Kirk, D. (2024). Fighting like a girl: Towards a critical pedagogy of martial arts. In: Ewald, A. et al. (Ed.): Martial Arts & Movement Arts (KuB): Cultural History, Violence Prevention & Therapy. An international online anthology of scientists and practitioners. 1-25. ISSN 2940-9586.

Turelli, F. (2024). Educazione del corpo karateka: una traiettoria investigativa. In Donato, A., Bortolotti, A., & Galak, E. (Orgs.) Pedagogie del corpo. Roma, Quapeg Edizioni.

Highlights

  • Women’s acknowledgement/awards recipient and network event. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) – 1er Encuentro Internacional de la Red de Mujeres Científicas. Puebla, México, November 2024.
  • Gold medal in the ES-21 Female Senior Kumite -61 KG division at the 2024 Canada Open Karate Championships in Vancouver, BC.

Grants

  • Turelli, F., & Kirk, D. Fighting for sustainable empowerment: improving body-self-awareness with newcomer students at the University of Manitoba through sports karate and critical feminist theory. UM SSHRC grant (CAD$6,995.68). University of Manitoba, Canada.
  • Turelli, F. When we are not aware of the oppressions we face: the embodiment of subalternity to obey and punish oneself in sport. Mitacs. (Two funded international students per year – 2024/2025.)
  • Teetzel, S., Wilkinson, L., Strachan, L., Brown, C., & Turelli, F. Impacts of racism on community sport dropout and retention: An intersectional analysis of girls’ experiences of racism and knowledge of mechanisms to support abuse-free sport. Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada’s Abuse-Free Sport Research Grant Program (CAD$85,383.00).
  • Vaz, A. F., ... & Turelli, F. Teoria Crítica, Racionalidades e Educação VI: Estudos para a compreensão do tempo presente. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (BRR$225,600.00). Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Global-scale collaborations

  • Barquero-Ruiz, C., Castro-Gracia, M., Turelli, F., Scanlon, D., & Valerio, C. Internationalization project: Experiences of ECRs teaching Social Justice internationally.
  • Hill, J., Gubby, L., & Turelli, F. International research project SHE RUNS: Studying Harassment Experience in women’s Running, and Understanding Narratives of Safety: International comparative analysis

Founding member in research/academic groups:

  • Sylvester, K., Turelli, F., Bellec, C., Joseph, J., & McGuire-Adams, T. Critical Embodied Women’s Martial Arts International Research Group.
  • Teetzel, S., Turelli, F., & Brown, D. National Pierre de Coubertin Committee in Canada

Courses

  • PHED 2442 Health Education 
  • KPER 3140 Health Promotion
  • PHED 3362 Culturally Relevant Pedagogies