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Accessible movement-activities promoting wellness and community on campus!
The AIR Program (Advocacy for Inclusive Recreation) is a collaborative program hosted by Vikes Athletics and Recreation, Native Students Union, Gender Empowerment Centre, Society for Students with a Disability, Students of Colour Collective, and Pride Collective. This program is for students who identify as members of the aforementioned Advocacy groups on Campus. The goal of AIR is to provide access in an inclusive, safe, and equitable manner to students of the five UVic Advocacy groups on campus. We want to provide accessible movement-activities that will promote wellness and community on campus.
The majority of AIR programming takes place in The Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA). CARSA contains a 2,100-seat performance gym, a huge multipurpose fieldhouse, a two-level fitness weight training area, CARSA Climbing Centre, dance space, dedicated TRX and spin classrooms, yoga studios, squash and racquetball courts, a rowing ergometer centre, and a sports injury clinic.
AIR programming takes place in the Gwynne Studio, and the Climbing Centre. Since it is a large facility, AIR participants can expect the lobby and main entrance to be busy and have a lot of traffic flow. Once you enter the space, you can check-in with a CARSA front desk staff and let them know which AIR program you are attending. They will buzz you in for free (NO CARSA PASS REQUIRED - just register online)
There are gender neutral bathrooms and accessible bathrooms in the facility.
We do our best to accommodate the access needs of our participants, given the barriers that they may experience while in the facility. If there is something we could do to make your CARSA experience more inclusive or accessible, please contact our Inclusion and Wellness Coordinator, Megan Vlahiotis at mvlahiotis@uvic.ca.
Questions about inclusion and accessibility at Vikes Recreation?
Email: mvlahiotis@uvic.ca
Follow us on Instagram: @uvic.air
Inclusion and accessibility programs take place all over the CARSA and McKinnon facilities. Check individual program details for exact location. View map.
Join us for a welcoming and fun dance class designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. The class will start with a group check-in and some gentle warm-ups with a focus on checking in with your body and what feels good to you during the session.
This isn’t your ordinary dance class; you won’t be expected to learn any specific moves. Instead, this hour will be a time to enjoy some music and move in whatever way feels best for you!
There will also be options to sit out and rest at any time throughout the session with the option to draw with colored pencils and pens in the break space.
Join us for some fun drop-in climbing at the CARSA Climbing Centre! The climbing tower has over 500 holds between the 55-foot tower and 14-foot bouldering wall. The CARSA Climbing Centre focuses on learning and practicing climbing skills in a safe and fun environment.
This program runs concurrently with the regular climbing drop-in sessions, so AIR participants will be sharing the space with other folks.
As we wish to practice transparency, there are some limitations to the equipment available for our AIR Climbing sessions. The climbing harnesses can fit up to a 48” waist, and the auto belay can support up to 310 lbs. Additionally, our adaptive equipment will not be available during this program. If you require the use of adaptive equipment, we have our Adaptive Climbing - Adult Drop-In sessions earlier on Saturdays from 5-7pm.
Currently running session:
AIR Climbing
Location: CARSA Climbing Centre, CARSA Building, 1st Floor
Dates: January 20 – March 24
Time: Monday at 7:00PM–9:00PM
Yoga for Wellness & Community
This program is in collaboration with Society for Students with a Disability (SSD). Join us for a welcoming and supportive yoga class designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. Whether you are new to yoga or have an established practice, these classes will offer variations for all levels, ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and supported. Together, we will focus on grounding asanas (poses), mindful breathing, and intention setting that promotes our well-being. Come join us to connect, move, and restore our collective energy in a safe and inclusive setting.
Come as you are—no prior experience necessary! Let’s move, breathe, and thrive together.
Currently running session:
AIR x SSD - Body Inclusive Yoga
Location: Gwynne Studio
Dates: January 19 – March 2
Time: Sunday at 5:30PM–6:30PM
Self- Defence for Strength & Empowerment
This program is in collaboration with the Native Students Union (NSU). Introducing the NSU x AIR pilot self-defence program! Join us for an accessible, culturally sensitive, and beginner friendly Taekwondo self-defence class, intentionally designed for Indigenous students. The class will open and close with a talking circle, which is facilitated by Indigenous counsellors. The self-defence portion of the class is designed to provide practical tools for personal safety and empowerment.
Please note this program has closed registration, as it is only available to UVic students who identify as Indigenous. Please contact Megan Vlahiotis at mvlahiotis@uvic.ca, if you are interested in registering!
Hello, my name is Flora Wells and I use any pronouns. I am the facilitator of AIR Every Body Wiggle sessions! I have been a dancer all my life and have enjoyed facilitating dance over these past two years through AIR and CARSA's dance programs. As an able-bodied and white person, I have realized how inaccessible dance can be and I am dedicated to growing my understanding of what accessible dance looks like. I am trained as a Dance Your Ability facilitator, a style of dance that is all about enjoying movement, however that means to you and creating accessible dance spaces for everyone! If you'd like to learn more about this technique, check out the website here; Dance Your Ability or the description of the Every Body Wiggle sessions for more information! When I am not dancing, I am working on completing my Social Work degree at UVic and creating art. I can be found around campus at the Gender Empowerment Centre and the Society for Students with Disabilities, and I am really excited to be a part of AIR and to work so closely with the advocacy groups that have supported me through my degree!
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Per (she/her) is of Punjabi Indian descent, daughter of immigrant parents, a Mother, lifelong learner, and active community volunteer. Per is an alumni of Simon Fraser and the University of Victoria. She completed her Yoga teacher training at Ma Yoga after decades of searching for an inclusive program which honored traditional yogic practices and philosophies. Her lived experiences afford her the ability to readily connect with and understand the needs of others, specifically members of equity deserving groups. Using a healing-informed approach, both personally and professionally, Per continues on an empowering journey to connect deeper to herself and her ancestors through yoga, community, and service.
The AIR Program would not be able to be run without the collaboration of our dedicated committee members.
Bios coming soon!
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