In this section...
As one of the fastest non-motorised activities in the world, alpine skiing is a sport that is very tough on the athlete's physical condition.
Flying down a hill at speeds of up to 130 mph puts massive stress on the human body and that is what sportscotland institute of sport dedicated snowsport physiotherapist Rebecca Joyce has to contend with. She travels with the alpine ski team and provides on the spot physiotherapy to the athletes as they travel the world and chase their dreams of competing at the Winter Olympics.
‘When a skier crashes at 80 – 90mph, they could pretty much injure anything, which is why strength and proprioception (the ability to sense the position, location, orientation and movement of the body and its parts) have to be optimal.’ says Rebecca.
Rebecca’s physiotherapy role has to be proactive and spontaneous, working with the coaches and athletes on minimising the risk of injury as well as treating athletes who are carrying injuries. With an emphasis on prevention and recovery, Rebecca works remotely with the other experts at the institute to help to maximise performance at every opportunity.
The physiotherapy programme is very closely linked with the strength and conditioning support they receive from the institute. Her participation in the strength and conditioning programme is focused mainly on helping to build the strength of the athletes, their core stability and the flexibility of the athletes. She also feeds into their technical coaching sessions, looking at problem areas and providing knowledge which informs and connects with what the skiers do on the slopes.
The communications pathways between the SIS and Rebecca are very strong and even over the competition period, whilst she is away with the squad, she is in constant contact with the expert teams at the institute. The competition season is intensive with a great deal of time expended in travelling from place to place. The athletes could spend two days travelling and two days training on the slopes with a competition the next day before moving onto the next place.
During the off season, she works from the institute putting the athletes through their paces with help from her SIS colleagues, devising and monitoring individually tailored programmes to ensure each athlete is progressing towards their goals and receiving the best support possible.
Working day to day with the alpine team as they race at competitions all over the world is exciting, and no two days are the same. The snow-capped location of the races means that Rebecca has to ski to be on hand at the site, which has provided her with an intimate understanding of the mishaps that can occur whilst on piste.
‘Due to the ski element of my job I have had one calamity after another, from crashing and wiping out the national Swiss coaching team, to breaking a chairlift which ultimately caused an entire slalom race to stop. You could say that my ski life is very unpredictable and dramatic!’
Rebecca has a gruelling schedule ahead of her as she delivers seamless SIS support whilst the athletes attempt to score vital qualification points to secure places on the GB Olympic team in January. The healing hands of the institute physiotherapists may not be able to ensure victory in Vancouver, but they can ensure best preparation and support for the journey as the athletes focus on the task in hand.
