The road to the Olympics
Athletes on the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams have dedicated years of their young lives to build their bodies and their skill. They've beaten the odds, weathered innumerable challenges and are set to peak at the Games. And they are busy people. Some are in school, some work, most travel regularly to compete, all manage full-time training schedules and constant pressure to perform; to eat properly, and avoid injury. “It is a very demanding job, and can be overwhelming at times,” states Sports Psychologist Judy Goss. “There’s no smooth road to the Olympics so we work hard to support athletes on their journey.”
    One way that Canadian athletes experience this support is through Integrated Support Teams (ISTs) – a
system of sport sciences and sports medicine services for high-performance Canadian athletes and their coaches.
It’s a team approach where a group of experts, including dietitians, psychologists, and trainers collaborate with a coach to help an athlete get healthy, fit and psychologically ready for competition. For the 2010 Olympics, additional funding has been provided to support elite athletes, especially Olympic medal hopefuls.

Team of support
ISTs help coaches and athletes take a more calculated, scientific approach to their training programs. Physiological testing provides data about an athlete’s strength and conditioning. Most Olympic athletes are tested at least three times a year; results guide decisions about the athlete’s training.
    “ISTs are very important,” says Michael Slipchuk, former Olympian and High Performance Director for Skate Canada. “It’s critical that each athlete have a good support group in their training location and we’ve made a lot of strides in this area over the past two years.”
    Each sport has different energy needs, training characteristics and ideal athlete body composition. Ski jumper Stefan Read must generate optimum power in short bursts of activity, whereas biathlete Zina Kocher requires strength plus endurance. Trainers take these different demands into consideration, working with coaches and athletes to design training programs that prepare for the demands of their
specific sport in relation to their body composition and abilities as an athlete. The goal is to avoid overtraining, ensure injuries heal properly, and manage the schedule so that athletes peak at the Olympics.
    Successful training and recovery also relies on nutrition. “Nutrition won’t take an average athlete to the Olympics, but it makes a significant difference for elite athletes,” says Alexis Williams, Lead Dietitian at the Canadian Sports Centre in Ontario. Williams teaches athletes and coaches how nutrition supports their training and competitive goals.

Most athletes have a greater need for calories because they expend so much more energy - they consider food as fuel. When they eat also matters, both for performance and for recovery. “Planning, preparing and timing nutrition in relation to their training takes focus and effort,” says Williams, “but elite athletes are extremely interested in what’s going to make them better. They make it a priority.”
    Travel often throws a kink into most nutrition plans, when they are in faraway places with different culinary styles. Canadian athletes have nothing to worry about in Vancouver when it comes to food, but competing at home brings other challenges. “We know that athletes can feel overwhelmed by the attention they receive as members of the home team,” says Goss.
    “We’re the stress management part of the team; we work on mental preparation,” she notes. “We develop a pre-competition plan and help athletes visualize every stage of the process.” Psychologists also prepare athletes for the media attention so they don’t become distracted. The goal is to stay calm and focused.
    Slipchuk acknowledges the intense spotlight that will come with competing
in Canada but doesn’t see it as a negative. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The chance to step out and compete at an Olympic games in Canada is something they will never forget.”
    Bottom line: it takes a team to support
an athlete to be their best – parents, coaches, trainers, therapists, dietitians, psychologists and more. When the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams enter BC Place for their respective opening ceremonies, consider the level of excellence and achievement they represent, for themselves and for the teams of people who have stood with them over the years. They're the best-of the-best, so get your flags and mittens and get ready to cheer!  H&L