As I write this, I am eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Congress of Biomechanics (WCB) in Vancouver that we have spent the last two years planning. Bringing a major meeting like this to life is quite an undertaking, and it is only possible due to a wonderful collaborative effort spanning the globe. Scheduling our planning meetings was quite lively, as we negotiated who was willing to stay up very late or wake up very early to make sure everyone could be on the planning calls. I have truly enjoyed working with my counterparts from the Canadian Society for Biomechanics (CSB) and the European Society of Biomechanics (ESB), along with WCB 2026 Program Co-Chairs Chris Dennison and Lynne Bilston and the rest of the program committee. I hope you will all have the opportunity to meet some of my new colleagues throughout the week of WCB and, if you do, that you might thank them for their hard work (and early/late hours!).

We have an excellent scientific program planned, engaging special sessions, and a range of meaningful student-centered activities. Rumor has it, there may even be a Talent Show! I hope throughout the conference you have the opportunity to engage in tracks and sessions that are different from the ones we often feature at ASB, and that you are inspired to make new connections. One of the benefits of WCB is the cross-pollination that can happen when we come together.

Being the ASB Program Chair for WCB has meant navigating a few trade-offs. I am essentially a member of the WCB Program Committee, and while I have made sure our ASB voice is heard (and appreciate the WCB co-chairs and colleagues for listening so carefully), it also means I am one voice of many. As such, WCB won’t have all the programmatic elements and layout that we would expect during a traditional standalone ASB year. However, this unique joint environment does allow us to have some new things to really look forward to. For example, instead of one morning of a Fun Run, you have the chance to lace up your sneakers every single day to run with other biomechanics enthusiasts! I also heard that the ESB debate is something that is always worthwhile to watch. Perhaps it will even inspire us to organize future ASB debates.

We’ve also made sure that some of your ASB annual meeting favorites are front and center, and that our colleagues around the world can share in some of these traditions. From the Borelli Talk to the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition to our Women in Science event, we’ve tried to fit in all we can!

And if there is a specific favorite you find yourself missing in Vancouver, don’t worry! In 2027, we will not only be back to hosting a traditional ASB conference, but we’ll be celebrating ASB’s 50th Anniversary! When we return, all those favorites, and maybe some that have even been forgotten, are sure to be there. And in between now and then, be on the lookout for webinars and other forms of engagement to capture a few elements that we were not able to feature in the WCB program.

As I close, I would like to thank all the ASB members who made sure our society was strongly represented at WCB, from delivering engaging plenary sessions to hours and hours coordinating sessions as track chairs to proposing special sessions and everything in between. I also want to thank and highlight our phenomenal ASB-WCB Student Committee, led by ASB Student Rep Paula Kramer! The conference organizers were truly surprised by the energy, enthusiasm, and ideas that our students brought forward to elevate a whole host of student programming in collaboration with our CSB and ESB peer leaders.

For those of you who are not able to make the journey out to Vancouver, we will miss you, and we’ll look forward to being back together in 2027 in Iowa!