Katarzyna Kucia

Dr. Katarzyna Kucia serves as a Lecturer at the University of Physical Education in Krakow, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, where she works in the Swimming pool facility, room 213. She teaches aqua therapy and aqua fitness classes in English as part of the Erasmus and Erasmus+ programs, and holds extensive professional qualifications including master class swimming coach certification, Water Rescue Instructor status from the Ministry of Interior and Administration, and numerous water sports instructor certifications.

With a PhD in Physical Culture Sciences, Dr. Kucia has established herself as a prominent researcher in aquatic sports science. Her expertise spans swimming sports across all training stages, water rescue techniques, aqua fitness methodologies, extreme water sports, functional land training, and post-surgical rehabilitation programs in water. She has supervised 57 master's and bachelor's theses and served as assistant supervisor for a doctoral dissertation.

Dr. Kucia's scholarly work demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward understanding human performance in water environments, with increasing emphasis on health applications for special populations like seniors. Her research on respiratory muscle fatigue and water rescue effectiveness has been particularly influential in the field. She has co-authored the National Swimming Teaching Program for the Polish Swimming Association and contributed to numerous publications in journals such as Antropomotoryka and Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics.

She actively participates in international collaborations, including projects at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and serves as Secretary of the Faculty Teaching Committee (2020-2024). Dr. Kucia is also deeply involved in professional organizations including the Polish Swimming Association, Małopolska Swimming Association, and the Volunteer Water Rescue Service (WOPR), where she contributes to training committee work.