Golden teams: What surrounds you, counts too.

Imagine the scene: You’ve just won the Olympic gold medal in your sport. You can hear the adulation: “Well done.” “You’ve done it.” “You’ve done so well.” “How did you do it?” Yes, if you were that athlete, then you were the one to finish first. So they are right, you did do it. However, was it only you that got you there? I’m not so sure. First, even before you moved a muscle, there was Mum and Dad and their cocktail of genes that directed your development. Then there were opportunities at school and outside school to exercise and compete. Somehow, you managed not to give up competitive sport in your teens, when the majority of your peers quit. So, how did you get from there to the Olympics?

I believe strongly that you did it because you had a good team around you. These are the unsung heroes, the people who are almost always in the background. Like in a theatre production, these are the people who built the stage and organise the lighting that allow the performer to perform. In sport the unsung heroes include the athlete’s family and friends but also sport and exercise professionals including physios, strength specialists, podiatrists, sport masseurs, equipment technicians… Few of these support staff really make much money out of working with athletes, often doing it more for the love of the sport or because they are genuinely nice people and want to help. Few get the chance to work with an Olympic gold medal winner, an Olympian, world champion or even national champion. However, for those of us who are support staff, no matter who it is we are working with – a competitive athlete or gym-goer working towards their own important goals – we make a significant contribution to their achievements, satisfaction, injury-free performance, health and avoidance of the couch potato syndrome. Our clients know it and we should bear this in mind too. So, the next time we are with our clients lets remember that we are part of their golden team.

Dr Victor Thompson