Dr. Nalda Wainwright is director of Wales Institute for Physical Literacy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She is a Principal Lecturer in the School of Sport Health and Outdoor Education and Programme Director for the MA Physical Education, Sport and Physical Literacy.

Nalda worked with Professor Margaret Whitehead for her PhD research which investigated the impact of the Welsh early years curriculum on physical literacy. She is the chair of the National Physical Literacy Project for School Research Group, Strategic lead for the regional Welsh Government Physical Literacy Schools project and an Expert Panel Member for the development of the Australian Physical Literacy Standard.

Her current research interests lie in the role of physical literacy in developing Health and Wellbeing and she is the professorial advisor for the development of this area of learning and experience for the new Welsh Curriculum. Her work at the Wales Institute for Physical Literacy is focussing on how the Foundation Phase can be developed to lay the foundations of lifelong physical activity and health.

Nalda taught for 14 years in primary schools and developed expertise in working with diverse needs spending 5 years as head of a unit for children with moderate and complex learning needs. She was the lead consultant for the Welsh Government’s Physical Education and School Sport inclusion project and a national trainer for health fitness and well-being project.

Nalda is passionate about physical activity in her own life taking part in triathlon, sea swimming, surfing, mountain biking and snowboarding. Nalda completed Ironman Wales and the Marmotte cyclosportif in France in 2014. She has recently taken up Paddle boarding and is trying to chill out on the water in the quieter parts of the coast of the Pembrokeshire National Park where she lives in Wales.