Currently working on her PhD in the Division of Physiotherapy at UCT’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Human walked away with the first prize as well as the People’s Choice Award, voted for by the audience.

Her presentation was titled ‘To train or not to train – that is the question’ and focused on the use of inspiratory muscle-training in children and adolescents with neuromuscular diseases.

“We hope to provide scientific evidence showing improvement in areas such as lung function, respiratory muscle strength and upper limb function and coordination, but most of all to determine if improved breathing can positively influence the quality of life,” she explains.

Despite the challenges associated with preparing a concise speech from a substantial body of work, Human found participating in the 3MT competition exhilarating and rewarding.

“The absolute feeling of achievement when you have a speech that can summarise five years’ worth of work in three minutes is just overwhelming.

Also, the reaction of the audience and the adrenaline rush when you see that your message has had an impact and that we can change the world, one 3MT speech at a time,” Human says.

She also emphasises that she would never have been able to achieve her success without the dedication and support of her supervisors, parents and friends.