Yvonne Visser's Travel Diary
October 13, 2005
Canada has large support crew
for athletes heading to Turin
The crew behind the show!
There is nothing bigger than the Olympic Games. It is THE Game. It inspires
and motivates, draws tears and harsh words.
As we watch, athletes are pushed to their limits of the sport, sportsmanship,
teamwork, skill and friendship.
If truth be told, I had NO clue what happened behind the scenes of the Olympic
Games in 1992 when I competed in Albertville, France in the biathlon.
I concentrated on ME: my performance, nutrition, sleep and psychology. The
coaches were there for me, to help make my performance optimal. Heck, they
were even paid to be there!
This year I will have the rare opportunity to see the years of preparation
that go on behind the scene, given freely and mostly without remuneration.
These preparations are made, to the minute detail, to allow athletes to only
concentrate on themselves, to anticipate their every need and want. Simply
said, they need it, we will provide it.
The Canadian Olympic committee is the brains behind the Canadian Contingent.
Details (oh, so many!) are their specialty. When one Olympiad is over, the
planning for the next one begins.
What draws a busy professional to give a month of their time away from friends,
family, and business?
Your only have to think SPIRIT – the OLYMPIC SPIRIT.
The statement ‘the fire that burns within’ can be used for both
the athletes and the staff.
The mission staff (yes, that’s right, think volunteer mission to a
foreign country to help, same thing) is the core of the movement.
This team is made up of a volunteer staff of Administration and Safety (6),
Village Operations (19 in three villages), Canada Olympic House (12), Communications
(14), Outfitting (7), and one international travel specialist.
The medical staff (volunteer) includes 10 doctors, four massage therapists
(of which I’m one), four physiotherapists, three chiropractors, 10 athletic
therapists, two sport psychologists, and one nutritionist.
These professionals are distributed between the three villages, as needed
by the athletes, at the satellite centres at the Turin Olympic Games in February
2006.
In September we met in Banff, Alta., to co-ordinate and perfect plans in
order to deliver the best care possible for our Canadian athletes. To empower,
celebrate and promote all of our skills into one co-ordinated team. We reminded
ourselves what an honour it is to be representing our country and planned
for a clear vision of the months ahead.
Not only the physical ability to complete one month of 7 am to 11 pm work
daily, but also the mental fortitude to give for 27 days straight without
burnout.
For most of us, we will soon be into the winter Season (November to March)
of competition, involving extensive planning, work, and high doses of stress
and expectations.
I, along with the team and coaching staff, am quickly developing coping mechanisms
through the support of family, friends, and colleagues.
The months ahead look somewhat daunting at the moment – four months
away, and trying to prepare for everything business and home while working
many hours a day.
It is not long before I begin this adventure for the start of the world Cup
Tour with the Canadian National Skeleton Team (think face-first luge), on
the way to Turin. Airline flights, and many of them, are closer than ever
and the next update will be from the road. Watch carefully as we travel to
a different country every week.
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