Hand up for Olympians
Assistant Professor Deanna Schick, Ph.D. (cand.), represents Canadian Athletic Therapists at 2010 Olympic Games.
Her title sounds simple enough — Supervisor of Athletic Therapy — but Deanna Schick’s job at the 2010 Olympic Games is anything but common. While Vancouver welcomes the world at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Schick will have her hands full representing all Canadian Athletic Therapists
The work is well underway for the TWU Assistant Professor of Human Kinetics. In preparation for the Games, Schick has been active in the planning process: helping to decide how many therapists should be at each venue and what qualifications they should have, scheduling, and even placing people into positions. But the real work of her role will ignite with the torch as she manages the athletic therapists, trouble shoots, and guides her team in responding to new injury assessments and to accidents. For Schick, the tough work and hectic pace of her role are all worth it. She says, “It is very rewarding to be part of an athlete’s experience in reaching his or her potential. To see them achieve and perform is very satisfying.”
This is the second time that Schick has seen the Olympic rings from an inside perspective. In 2008, she was part of the core medical team for Canada at the Paralympics. Schick recalls her Beijng experience saying, “Walking into a stadium packed with thousands of fans and wearing Canadian red and white was pretty amazing. Everyone loves Canadians and so the crowd just went wild.
Schick has a long history of working in sport. She has been involved with VANOC since 2006, was part of the 2001, 2005, and 2009 Maccabiah Games in Israel, the IAAF World Track and Field Championships in 2001, and worked with the Canadian Under-22 National Women’s Hockey Team for the 2000/01 season. Since moving to British Columbia, she has been involved extensively in rugby and has worked at the local, provincial, and national level with Rugby Canada.
When asked what advice she has for those interested in this type of career, Schick says, “Be prepared for a lot of work, crazy hours, unpredictability, and plenty of challenges. In the world of sport, no two days are the same and you have to be okay with that. Also, as a student, don’t narrow your scope of expertise (one sport, or clinic only). Experience as many different aspects as you can — contact vs. non-contact sports, male vs. female, outdoor vs. indoor. In the future these experiences will make you a well-rounded therapist.”
by Erin Mussolum '95
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