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This is my second time attending the Olympics as a chiropractor, but my first time working at the Olympics with Canada’s bicycle motocross (BMX) team. I have been working with the National and Development BMX teams over the last four years, and the value of chiropractic in this sport has been monumental. BMX is a high injury sport, but the culture of the sport has not put injury prevention or management in the forefront. Being a developing “elite” sport, this is only the third appearance for BMX at an Olympic games. At present, there is not a lot of research or innovation out there with respect to musculoskeletal injuries in the sport.

As the Canadian national BMX team’s year-round chiropractor, I have been exposed to working with kids involved with the sport at all levels. I feel that my role is multi-faceted in that I can work on injury management but also injury prevention when introduced to these different groups. I have been given the opportunity to educate different grassroots-level development groups for kids, including the Olympic prospects for 2020. I have been able to teach parents as well as kids about the benefits of chiropractic along with how to take care of your body when involved in such a high-risk sport.

BMX injuries are more serious than the sports I have worked with in the past—namely with the national road and track cycling teams—and most definitely different than the injuries that I see in my day-to-day practice. Treating athletes in this sport makes things a lot more stressful for sure, but I enjoy being pushed past my comfort zone and learning new things, while simultaneously nurturing new strengths.

As a chiropractor travelling with a national team—not only to the Olympics but to other international competitions and events as well—I really enjoy having the opportunity to collaborate with the other health professionals and integrated support teams. I am often working alongside other amazing professionals: coaches, orthopaedic surgeons, nutritionists, and strength and conditioning professionals. Each of these professionals is at the top of their field. With athletes working at such a high level, the staff has so much to offer and to contribute not only to their sports performance but also to the development of their treatment. As a result, all members of their healthcare teams make each other better, as well as the

athletes for which they care. It is really awesome to work with others who have that common passion at their core.

For me, one of the most memorable BMX moments of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was within the first few minutes before Tory Nyhaug rode his first moto. I was so incredibly nervous for him and thought about the countless hours I had spent with him over the past four years preparing for these games. With this moment came the realization that I had done everything I could have done to prepare him for this moment—now it was up to him. After coming out of the gate strong and carving the first corner low to come out in front, he won the heat and eventually ended up qualifying for the superfinal the next day. There had been a number of crashes that day that had left many of the athletes out with serious injuries—but not for Nyhaug. He was confident, motivated, and uninjured. After placing fifth in the exciting BMX Olympic Final (less than one second off the gold medal!) our team was ecstatic. Tory was gracious and a true winner, and of course, this became a career highlight for me as a chiropractor.

(From left) Jacques Landry (Cycling Canada High Performance Director), Dr. Jenn Turner, Tory Nyhaug (BMX), Adam Muys (BMX Canada Team Manager), PH Sauze (Tory's Personal Coach).

We reached out to Team Canada’s chiropractors to talk about their experience at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Here are their stories.

CHIROPRACTORS AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

DR. JENN TURNER, DC

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DR. JOHN VARGO, DC

It was an honour and a privilege to be named to the Athletics Canada Integrated Support Team (IST) as team chiropractor for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Track and field athletes have long-benefited from the integration of chiropractic care into their training and post-competition recovery. Chiropractic care for the treatment and prevention of injuries—and ultimately as a performance enhancement tool—is a critical element for the world’s greatest track and field athletes. Their neuromusculoskeletal systems are extremely sensitive and as a result, their response to chiropractic treatment is magnified. They achieve results not normally seen in daily practice.

One of the more interesting things I have learned from experienced practitioners who have preceded me—and from my own experience in working with high-level athletes—is that, often times, less is more. Our natural instinct in a crisis is to treat with everything we have in our armamentarium. However, these finely-tuned athletes often respond negatively to over-treatment by feeling tired and competing flat. Chiropractic is definitely an art and a science. The art component is so important when treating athletes in an elite athletic setting like the Olympic Games. Ultimately, our role is to facilitate their performance.

Athletics Canada works very hard to ensure that their IST members and athletes can work together throughout the year to establish clinical relationships. The goal is to maximize each athlete’s response to treatment and ensure their needs are well-known prior to the time-sensitive and pressure-filled environment of the Olympic Games. Our continued goal is to optimize the dynamic interaction of all of our skill sets and areas of expertise for the benefit of the athlete.

I’m proud to be a member of Olympic gold medalist high jumper Derek Drouin’s personal support team—which also includes his coach, strength and conditioning specialist, massage therapist, and sports psychologist. The integration of many health professions and varied skill sets are all brought together and challenged to function as a unit at the Olympic Games. To be a part of the Rio 2016 Canadian Olympic team and to assist our amazing team of athletes with chiropractic care during the biggest competition of their lives was truly an honour.

DR. ALBAN MEREPEZA, DC

My experience at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was a fantastic one. Although this was my fifth time attending the Olympic Games as a chiropractor, I was really excited to be part of Canada’s athletics team and what was, in my experience, the best Olympic Games yet. This was the largest athletics team Canada has ever sent. It also included many talented athletes with—in my opinion—the potential to deliver the best results of any past Canadian Olympics athletics team. For me, the most exciting part of being part of the games was that I could follow many athletes I admired directly to their competition: Andre De Grasse, Phylicia George, Aaron Brown, and Brendon Rodney. I also had the privilege of being present at their ultimate events. I was excited to be able to provide care for them in Rio and support them as they reached new heights and fulfilled their Olympic dreams.

The results were great for Canada as a whole with Andre De Grasse leading the way with three medals. This was undoubtedly the best moment for me—to see him succeed and put Canada back on the sprinting map.

Overall, I felt that the Rio 2016 Games were a good showcase of our chiropractic profession. I had the privilege of being part of a great medical team and the great fortune of working alongside my friend and colleague Dr. John Vargo for Canada’s track and field team. I got to see Dr. Jenn Turner working with cycling Canada (whom I had not seen since London 2012 Olympic Games) and Dr. Mohsen Kazemi working with Canada’s taekwondo team (whom I had not seen since the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico).

Overall, it was a fantastic and memorable experience. (From left) Dr. John Vargo with Gold medal high jumper, Derek Drouin.

(From left) Aaron Brown, Andre de Grasse, Dr. Alban Merepeza, Brandon Rodney, Akeem Haynes.

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DR. ALBAN MEREPEZA, DC, MSCDr. Alban Merepeza graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2005 and has practiced in Port Hope, Ontario since his graduation. He owns and operates Port Hope Health Centre, a multidisciplinary

health team that includes audiologists, chiropractors, medical doctors, naturopaths, physical therapists, and registered massage therapists. He graduated from McMaster University in April 2016 with a master’s degree in rehabilitation sciences and is currently completing his Fellowship of Chiropractic Sports Sciences.

He has attended five Olympic Games: 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016; the Pan Am Games in 2011 and 2015; the Mediterranean Games in 2009 and 2013; the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2014; and numerous world championships of track and field, swimming, and weightlifting. He recently attended the 2016 UEFA European Championship in France.Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse and Dr. Merepeza.

DR. JOHN VARGO, DCDr. John Vargo received his Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Guelph and his chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. He also completed a post-

graduate chiropractic sports injury specialty and is a Fellow in the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences (Canada). Dr. Vargo is the team Chiropractor for the Sarnia Sting Junior A Hockey Team. He was on the medical team for the Pan American Games in 1999, the Commonwealth Games in 2014, the World Championships of Track and Field in 2015, and the Summer Olympics in 2016. In addition to his practice in Sarnia, Ontario, he also currently acts as a chiropractic sports injury consultant for many professional athletes in the NHL, NFL, and Athletics Canada. He has provided sports injury coverage for numerous events at the international, national, provincial, and local levels.

(From left) Olympic high jumper Derek Drouin, Dr. John Vargo, and middle-distance runner Hilary Stellingwerff.

DR. JENN TURNER, DCDr. Jenn Turner is a graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. She resides in Vancouver running her multidisciplinary clinic Moveo Sport & Rehabilitation Centre. She is currently waiting

to sit the exam to accomplish her Fellowship of Chiropractic Sports Sciences. Her career highlights include working at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and most recently at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Turner has been working with Cycling Canada for the past nine years in the Track, Road and BMX programs. Currently, Dr. Turner is competing recreationally as a runner and trail runner while figuring out the work-life balance with the recent addition to her family of her first baby Tanner in December 2013 and second baby Maddie in August 2015.

OLYMPIC CONTRIBUTORS

Olympic BMX cyclist Tory Nyhaug with Dr. Jenn Turner.