Sylvie Paillard
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Two local physiotherapists are doing their part to help the Canadian and Australian ski teams achieve the gold at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.
Doug Linklater and Bianca Matheson have taken leaves from their work at Squamish Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy to treat - and in Linklater's case coach - the athletes going for gold.
Linklater has been working with the Canadian National Men's ski team since Aug. 1, and said this group of young men were as close to the legendary Crazy Canucks as any team since.
"It's such a well-rounded team," said Linklater from Austria in a phone interview with The Chief. "We've got guys that are technical skiers. We've got podiums I think in every single discipline this year, which I don't know if we've ever done as a team."During the eight months Linklater has been treating aches and injuries and coaching on the starting line, the team has spent less than two weeks at a time in one country.
"I'm getting a little tired of living out of my suitcase," he laughed.
But Linklater said he has enjoyed the jubilant hospitality the Canadians receive no matter where they go.
"I came into my hotel two nights ago and some guy's sitting at the bar calling 'Come here! Crazy Canucks, Crazy Canucks!'" said Linklater. "Most everybody in Austria still loves the Crazy Canucks."
Linklater has never been to the Olympics and said he's excited about going to Torino in February, even though the team's head coach works hard to dampen the enthusiasm.
"Mainly, I'm excited about just the whole spectacle of it," he said. "I hope to be able to go to the opening ceremonies. It's up to our head coach, an Austrian coach. He has funny ideas. He tries to keep them away from things as much as possible so they just focus on what they have to do."
Matheson has already been to three Olympic Games: in Athens to speak to the Pre-Olympic Sports Congress, in Sydney as a physio for the Australian beach volleyball team and in Salt Lake City as a physio for the Australian girls' aerial ski team.
Both teams Matheson treated went on to win the gold.
"Having had a taste twice of winning gold at Olympics is definitely a major highlight, but also just the Olympic experience, winning or not, is a very special thing that changes you forever," she said.
Matheson said she'll approach the Torino Olympics somewhat differently than the past events.
"I want to look at Torino through the eyes of someone who is going to have the Olympics at home in a few years. It will be exciting for the whole Sea to Sky corridor in the next few years," she said. "Everyone will get to experience the magic of the Olympic Games when they roll around. My advice to anyone thinking of leaving for that time: Don't!"
