Good Medicine for Peak Performance
[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 5
14 July - 10 August 2008 ] By Fiona Willan
Alison Campbell is set to help Australia win gold in Beijing, without even setting foot on a sports field. As medical coordinator, physiotherapist and anti-doping officer for the Australian Paralympic team, Ms Campbell literally has the health of 160 athletes in her hands. And these are the very same hands that usually treat players from Melbourne’s Uni Blues football team.
In September, the 24-year-old University of Melbourne physiotherapy alumna (2005) will head to Beijing to manage a medical base in the Paralympic Village. She will be responsible for allocating doctors, physiotherapists and other health professionals to Games events where they are most needed.
With strictly limited capacity in the Paralympic Village, Ms Campbell’s biggest challenge will be providing all the health services athletes require to reach their peak performance.
“We have 160 athletes, and you’d like to provide them all with services like physio, massage, nutrition, and psychology,” she said. “But you can’t take all the doctors and medical staff you need, because there are limitations on capacity.”
This means some health workers will be required to multi-task, including Ms Campbell. She will combine her hectic medical coordinator duties with her physiotherapy and anti-doping work.
Working with athletes with disabilities will make these roles particularly demanding. Ms Campbell, who has worked for the Australian Paralympic Committee since 2006, said treating a person with a disability for an injury was often “less straightforward” than treating an able-bodied person.
“There can be added complications with athletes with disabilities, as a result of their disability.”
Some athletes will also require medications banned under strict anti-doping laws. Ms Campbell must ensure athletes who need to take banned substances have written approval to do so.
“There is an international process for gaining approval and exemptions,” Ms Campbell said. “If they’re drug-tested and found positive for a banned substance, even if it is medically required, it is an offence if they don’t have written approval.”
When drug-testing is under way, Ms Campbell must be aware of the whereabouts of every single Australian Paralympic athlete.
Despite the enormous pressure she will be working under, Ms Campbell said she was excited to be part of the Australian Paralympic team.
“I’m only three years out of uni and I’ll be working at the Paralympics. I wouldn’t have thought it would happen,” she said. “But I think we have a big chance of medal success, and I look forward to contributing to that.”
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