Melissa Tancredi played for the Canadian National Team in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. She is also a chiropractic student. performance as an athlete. I first began to be adjusted before games when I was playing semi-pro soc-cer, while still an undergrad student in college. I found it really helped my per-formance on the field and felt that every-thing in my body was in tune. I was able to move on the field without any “kinks” – to this day, I find the adjustments free-ing. They help me to perform at my best and enhance my endurance. CC: Will your experience of having been a high-performance athlete impact how you treat patients when you begin to practise? MT: Yes, I think it absolutely will. I www.canadianchiropractor.ca have had an experience that not many can attain. I have competed for several years at the highest level and I have seen many injuries, I’ve also seen players ca-reers prematurely ended due to incorrect treatment and rehabilitation. I think this has taught me what to do, what not to do, what really works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, I know what it takes to compete. Whatever the level of competi-tion, an athlete wants to be able to per-form in the most efficient way possible, and my job as a chiropractor would be to help them fulfill this need.” CC: Drawing from your experiences as an athlete and as a chiropractic student, is there anything you’d like chiropractors to know? MT: I would like to emphasize that chiropractic is highly respected and has a very strong impact on athletes in every level of sports. I’m pursuing this field because I believe it is a true honour to be able to positively effect the lives of people through the implementation of a balanced drug-free healthy lifestyle.” CC: Do you have any plans to be-come involved in chiropractic research? MT: “I had the privilege of working with a great strength-and-conditioning coach who brought a level of evidence-informed practice to his work that really got me interested in doing research – I have to say I hadn’t had much interest in the idea, previously, but working with this individual has made me want to get involved in conducting studies and to be the one to discover answers that could impact the way an athlete performs with treatments.” CC: What’s next for you as a chiro-practor? Where would you like to prac-tise, when you graduate, and what type of practice would you like to establish? MT: I’m taking some time away from my soccer career to finish my studies at Logan and finally graduate. I see myself treating different types of patients, but I do want to specialize in working with ath-letes. I would like to come back to Canada – perhaps look into building a practice in Vancouver. The BCCA has been very helpful to me, in the past, and some of its members have worked with my National Team, so I have had the opportunity to meet some chiropractors from B.C. Chiropractic is a great model for life and for wellness, whether one is an ath-lete or not. I look forward to my future in this profession and, specifically, to work-ing with athletes as a chiropractor. • Melissa Tancredi has embarked on her sixth trimester at Logan College – this marks her entry into her last year before she ma-triculates into practice where she plans on continuing, and enhancing, the role of chiropractic in high-end competitive sport. Canadian Chiropractor congratulates Tan-credi and the Canadian women’s soccer team for surmounting some intimidating odds to win bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London and wishes her well in completing her studies, and in her future endeavours. CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | OCTOBER 2012 • 9
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