Earlier this year, Dr Ebonie Rio and Dr Matt Driller from the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport travelled to Paris – Ebonie as a headquarters sports physiotherapist with the Australian Olympic Team, while Matt took on the role of recovery physiologist for the Australian Paralympic Team.
Reflecting on their experiences, both say the people they worked with were the best part of their time in Paris.
“The people make the whole experience,” says Dr Rio. “It is privilege to work with our best athletes and alongside the very best support staff. No matter what challenges came our way, we knew we could face them together as a team. Everyone had each other’s backs.”
Dr Driller echoes this sentiment: “I think the most memorable part of the experience was the people I had the privilege of meeting and spending time with. The management, coaches and support staff were exceptional at their jobs and great fun to be around.”
“Every paralympic athlete has an incredible story to tell. So, I’d say that my biggest highlight was getting to know and spending time with so many remarkable individuals and being back in that team environment at such a pinnacle event,” he adds.
And how has the experience influenced their teaching and research roles?
“The experience serves as a lovely reminder of how much fun physiotherapy is and where it can take you,” says Dr Rio.
“Clinically, it refreshes you to see different sports, different athletes, different injuries, and work with different coaches and colleagues. And doing it all in a high-pressure environment is such a buzz!”
Dr Driller says the experience opened his eyes to the need for more research in disability sport.
“In my area of research, which predominately focuses on athlete recovery and sleep, very little is known about paralympic athletes and effective interventions. Most studies in this field are conducted on able-bodied athletes, leaving a gap in research on the wide range of disabilities we see in a paralympic team.”
“I’m excited to continue exploring and contributing to research on paralympic athletes in the near future and have already shared many of these insights in the classroom,” he says.
