UPFRONT | Roundup COLLABORATION 2015 Pan Am Games: Report from the field Chiropractors are required to spend several years in preparing themselves for international sporting events such as the 2015 Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. This preparation is comprised of four years of undergraduate studies and four years of chiropractic studies. The Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, held across Ontario from July to August 2015, are perceived as one of the most glorious sporting events by medical teams. Elite athletes from all over Latin America, South America, the Caribbean and North America spent several years preparing themselves for the Games. Many of them see participation in the Games as the peak of their sporting careers. In the same respect, local health-care providers see it as an opportunity to work with elite athletes in a new and exciting environment. The TO2015 Organizing Committee, in seeking the necessary support to attain a high level of proficiency and care for the Pan Am athletes, has established several performance criteria for health professionals who aim to participate in the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games as part of the host medical team. In order to meet the committee’s criteria and obtain a volunteer position at the Games, health professionals were required to take an online course, attend training sessions onsite, and ensure that they have all the necessary documentation signifying that they are licensed or registered to practice in Ontario. For those that came from out-of-town, extra steps had to be taken to acquire the necessary funds to support travel, accom-modations, food and a temporary licence. Previous experience in working with sports teams is a criterion as well. Dr. Emily Roback (second from right) with the canoe/kayak medical team at the 2015 Pan Am Games The first choice positions were given to health professionals who met the criteria, and therefore ensured their participation in the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. As one of those chosen to participate in the medical teams, I would like to share some insights from that experience. Practical Tips Our medical team for the Pan Am Games canoe/kayak sprint event, located in St. Catharines, Welland and Henley in Ontario, consisted of medical doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists, athletic therapists, nurses, paramedics and massage therapists. Working with Pan Am athletes for a short period of time was a complex and demanding process, requiring health-care providers to effectively plan their treatment program, exhibit a high level of commit-ment, and create a positive and trustful climate between them, the athletes and coaches. Based on our experience of providing interventions to elite paddlers, two practical tips for chiropractors who work with top-level international athletes are suggested. First, chiropractors should focus on what they are capable of doing best. As chiropractors, we have a variety of interventions available, and we can adopt various approaches of consultation. It is recommended that chiropractors develop their own approach based on their individual experience, expertise and professional knowledge. Second, chiropractors should cooperate regularly with the rest of the professional staff working with the elite athletes. Psychological preparation is one type of preparation in the domain of sport. There are other preparations, such as the physical, technical and tactical, which are probably perceived by the athletes and coaches as more important than the psychological one. Therefore, chiropractors have to cooperate with other professionals, such as coaches, nurses, physicians, massage therapists, paramedics and physiotherapists, who are working with the elite athletes. Chiropractors have to understand the objectives of each of the other preparations and listen carefully to requests made by the other health professionals to achieve a naturally synthesized training program for the Pan Am athletes. This cooperation between chiropractors and other professionals should be maintained throughout the entire preparation period, during the Games, and several months after the event. Communication was key as well. Members of the health-care team, located in St. Catharines, Ont., used Google Translate to communicate with Spanish speaking paddlers. New friendships and connec-tions were developed througout the duration of the Games. Health professionals from the medical team and elite paddlers exchanged training shirts and jackets as souvenirs, as both wanted something that would allow them to relive the experience after the Games. By Dr. Emily Roback Dr. Emily Roback is a Calgary-based chiropractor with LCP Health, and owner of Iron Mountain Integrative Health. Roback was part of host medical team at the recent 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games. She can be contacted at [email protected] www.canadianchiropractor.ca 10 Canadian Chiropractor September 2015
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