SPC Member Supporting Canada’s Para-Alpine Ski Team

By:  Maggie Phillips-Scarlett MKIN MPT CSCS CEP

I have been working with the Canadian para-alpine ski team team since 2005, initially as the strength & conditioning coach but now also as their team physiotherapist.

The team consists of 13 athletes, men and women. There are 3 categories including visually impaired, standing (ie. amputees,), and sitting (ie. spinal cord injuries or congenital birth defects). …so a huge array of injuries to manage.

Our team trains year round~ when not on snow, they do an intensive dry land program which includes both strength and cardiovascular training as well as pre-hab training to prevent injuries. This is paramount particularly for the disabled athletes because there are so many over-use issues (ie. stump sores, rotator cuff streings.etc).

We’ve had a 4 year plan building up to 2010 so now that it’s here, it’s pretty exciting and at times, overwhelming. There is a different feel for 2010 vs. 2009…the intensity and pressure is increasing and it is felt on all levels! We have just returned from 3 weeks of racing on the world cup circuit in Europe. We had some amazing days and some awful days~ a good awakening of what Whistler could be like. There will be lots to deal with both emotionally, mentally and physically.

Overall though, the team is really excited and looking forward to putting their goals into action. We’ve all worked really hard to be where we are and all we can hope for is some good luck and that the hard work pays off!

On a personal note, working with the team has made me a better physio for a number of reasons;

1. It has made me very much aware that an impairment is not a limitation.
   
   
2. I now know that I’m never going to solve an injury/disability but if I ‘think outside the box’, more often than not, I will be able to figure out a solution that can help the athlete perform better at life and sport.
3. There’s no ‘cookie-cutter recipe’ for treatment~ everyone is an individual and has to be treated with this approach.
4. The value of listening is paramount. When I started with the team, I had very little experience with athletes who had disabilities~ but I vowed to listen and stay very open to learn from them for what their bodies’ required both from a training and a physio stand point. More often than not, the client always knows their body best~ so listening to their concerns is crucial for a successful treatment.
   

   
   About the Author:

                                                   

             

                                         
Maggie Phillips Scarlett completed her Honours of Kinesiology in Athletic Therapy at Acadia University(2000), Masters of Kinesiology in Sport Science at the University of Calgary (2004), and Masters of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia in 2007. When not traveling with the team (ie. 2 wks/month), Maggie works part-time at Reach Physiotherapy Solutions in Squamish, BC.

As a member of Sport Physiotherapy Canada, Maggie’s access to current information and a great network of professionals has helped her to effectively manage the challenges and opportunities of working with Canada’s Para-Alpine Ski Team. She is currently logging her hours, taking advantage of SPC’s many education courses and hopes to begin the Credential Program exam process as soon as her commitments with the team settle down.