Physios Involved in the Paralympics
The second wave of the Games is underway and many of our PABC members are involved as they were in the Olympic Games. Here are a few unusual spots you’ll find them over these weeks.
We had two Paralympic torch bearers leading up to the Opening Ceremonies. John Cumberbirch of Surrey was selected to represent Sportability – CP Sports, in recognition of John devoting his career enriching the lives of children with special needs, in both his role as a dedicated and caring pediatric physiotherapist and his many hours spent as an International Classifier for CP Sports. And Louise Burton was “beyond excited” to be carrying the Paralympic torch during the 24 hour relay portion of the relay. Her application to “You Gotta Be Here” won her the spot. Now retired from Vernon Jubilee Hospital after 35 years, Louise is undertaking that all important role of retired physios – vacation relief for her colleagues!
Sharon Clarke is a Cross Country Canada Official Level 3- involved in Nordic sports; at the Paralympics she will be a member of the Timing team for XC skiing. During the Olympics, she was in Falun, Sweden as a Jury member for the Masters World Cup (MWC) in Cross Country Skiing.
Marilyn Atkinson is “very excited” to be working as a wax technician for the Chinese Paralympic cross country ski team, assisting her friend the wax coach for the team. Says Marilyn, “I have official credentials and everything!” Working part-time at Courtenay Physiotherapy, she has a few hours to devote to her Level 2 cross country ski coaching of a developmental program for 10-13 year olds of Strathcona Nordics Ski Club on Mt Washington, as well as competing in a few races a year as she has done since the 1960′s.
Barbara Picton is continuing her Olympic stint at the Athlete’s village into the Paralympics. She is in admin helping with logistics, but also covers the front end when more people are required. Some of the jobs have included hours breaking down cardboard boxes in the depths of an underground parking lot, completing inventory lists in the athlete’s rooms, welcoming athletes into the village and hauling luggage through the security checks, COC members to their meeting rooms, hauling cedar trees in tubs to pretty up the place, sponsors and partners around the Village, and issuing guest passes, “for which we had 1½ hours training from the RCMP in how to match people to passport photos – I now have a great respect for why they won’t allow us to smile anymore as it really does change the shape of the face.”
Alison Hoens provided training on the use of electrotherapeutic agents, and is an On Call specialist, “called when my area of expertise is required and/or helping out in the medical clinic in the Vancouver Village whenever I can.”
