This evening I am heading to Toronto to get on a plane to Rio de Janeiro. I will be part of the Health Care Team for the Canadian Paralympic Team. My role as the Team Physician for the Canadian Women's Wheelchair Basketball team makes it convenient for them as I will be with them for their whole stay in Rio.
Leaving home always brings a mixed bag of emotions. The excitement of being part of the Canadian Paralympic Team is balanced by leaving family behind. Many ask: " Is your family going with you?" It would be fantastic but not realistic or practical. When at the Games, I will be residing in the Paralympic Village residences with all Canadian team members. Family and friends have to find accommodations at local hotels or resorts which are very expensive. I will also not have the luxury of much free time to spend with them due to our responsibilities of keeping Canadian athletes healthy and ready to compete. There's always the safety issue in Rio which is another reality affecting all travellers. When I went to London for the 2012 Paralympics, I managed to secure 5 days accommodations and many event tickets for my family to travel and experience the excitement and energy of the Games. This year's plans of taking the family have not materialized mostly due to timing. It is the first week of school and Lukas, my 14 year old son, enters high school. New school , new location and new challenges are not going to benefit from him missing the first week.
It has been a different experience this year. I have been honoured with the responsibility of the role of Chief Medical Officer for the Canadian Parapan Am and Paralympic teams in Beijing (2008), Guadalajara (2011), London (2012) and Toronto (2015). This year, they asked if I wanted the role of Assistant Chief Medical Officer as Dr Andy Marshall takes the reigns. I was glad to help and it is quite refreshing to not shoulder as much responsibility. I also don't have to be one of the first on the ground for set up. Before all athletes can enter the Village on August 31, we have to organize a fully functional medical clinic within the Canadian Team residences. Last year, only 4 of us could gain entry in the Village for "pre-opening" to help set up all the Canadian delegation spaces: clinic, Mission staff offices, team attache offices, team support, coach support, technical analyses room, press and communication room, athletes lounge and coaches lounge.....44 pallets off the trucks and organized in storage and rooms to make the arrivals of teams and competitors smooth. This year I get to skip this part. I think it is really refreshing...
The games begin on August 7 and end on September 18. I will be there from tomorrow until the 20th. I will strive to write daily and post some pictures to allow you, the readers, to get a little access to what life is all about at these Games. The media will do a better job at the big stuff. I will try to bring a different view to the experience.
Thanks for reading and be sure to pass the word around for anyone who needs something to read with their morning cup of coffee.
No comments:
Post a Comment