Yvonne Visser's Travel Diary
February 1, 2006
Olympians in good hands:
Yvonne Visser takes her healing hands to Turin Olympics
by Krista Charke, Nanaimo Daily News
Yvonne Visser has a new appreciation for Canadian Olympic Team support staff.
During the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games opening ceremony, Canadian biathlete
Visser found herself walking into the stadium next to a few of her team's
support staff.
She wondered to herself what they had done to earn the right to walk among
the athletes who had shed years of blood and tears to get to the world's most
prestigious sporting event.
She has found her answer -- 14 years later.
"I'm going to be one of those people," said the 40-year-old Visser.
"But, I've put in 10 years and now I'm at the top of my game, so to speak."
The Nanaimo-based massage therapist is joining the Canadian Olympic Team's
medical staff in Italy for the 2006 Turin Olympic Games, Feb. 10 to 26. Thirty-five
doctors, athletic therapists, chiropractors, physiotherapist and massage therapists
make up the 35- member team.
"You can't just waltz into this position. It's extremely competitive
and almost impossible to get a spot with the olympic medical staff,"
said Visser. "It takes years of education, experience, and putting your
time in."
Visser will be the only massage therapist based in the high Alpine main medical
centre in Sestriere, two hours outside Turin.
She will be responsible for all the Canadian olympians competing in skeleton,
bobsled, alpine skiing, Nordic combined (cross-country skiing and ski jumping),
ski jumping, biathlon and cross-country skiing.
Her hands will be working on injury prevention and management, pre-and post-race
treatments and travel recovery.
While her hands are busy, Visser will also be able to lend the athletes a
little something extra. Support, from someone who knows what it's like to
have the world watching your every move.
"Having been there as an athlete, I know what they're going through,"
said Visser. "The stress, self-doubt, lack of confidence. They can talk
to me and at least know I can relate to them."
Visser is getting prepared for 20 volunteer, 16-hour days with the guarantee
of having only one day off during the two-week event.
"I don't usually drink coffee, but I think Italian espresso will help
me out. I also plan on going for my morning run to start every day. Oh, my
headlamp," said Visser as she scribbles it down on a list of things to
remember to take. "I'll be starting and ending the day in darkness."
Coming home from Italy won't be the end of Visser's olympic experience.
"I'll be bringing everything I learn back to my clients and helping
them reach their goals, which are just as important," she said. "It
takes hard work, endless hours, motivation and passion to reach any goal and
I hope this experience will help me help my clients reach theirs."
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