During the weeks and days before competition, the Olympic infrastructure and organization for a successful Summer Games was in question.

And then the Games began. And Team Canada came out in full force.

The CSI Calgary’s Tara Whitten was able to come back from a freak accident that left her in a neck brace for 10 weeks. Her training in April and May was severely curtailed yet she finished seventh in the Road Cycling Individual Time Trial. It was a superhuman, herculean effort that is difficult to comprehend considering the nature of the injury and time required to allow the bone to heal.

Track Cycling teammates Allison Beveridge and Kirsti Lay brought home a bronze medal in the Women’s Team Pursuit. Allison is an Alberta athlete who overcame a serious injury early this year to compete. Kirsti Lay came through the Talent Lab program at CSI Calgary on her path to making the national and Olympic teams.

CSI Calgary’s Erica Wiebe unabashedly won gold in women’s 75kg wrestling, belting out “O Canada” with tears streaming and the enthusiasm of an entire nation behind her. Such unrestrained emotion is not the stuff of Olympic puffery – it is pure, unadulterated joy. We are all benefactors in her accomplishment.

And the fourths and the lasts, they mean something too, whether we know it or not. Honest, humble, fierce – unequivocally Canadian.

These are the stories that matter. Not to the IOC or to the sponsors or even to the fans, but to the athletes, who give us everything of themselves, win or lose.

They rise above the noise until it fades away and all that remains is their space, their opponent, their race and the inner sanctum of competition. Their playing field is sacred and within its confines the athletes are free to compete, unencumbered by the circus outside. They simply shine.

This glimpse into the true Olympic Games is what engages us still – we believe in their goodness and so we should.

While it’s true that many of the issues in Rio and around the world are serious and cause for grave concern, they are neither the fault nor the burden of the athletes, who are there simply to compete for their country. While they cannot make the world’s problems go away, they can help us believe that a better world is possible through their sportsmanship, humility and determination.

The CSI Calgary is proud and honoured to work alongside these athletes as they pursue their Olympic dreams. We share their joy and sorrow, triumph and defeat. Their stories are good news to us and to all Canadians.

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
24/08/16

Their bags are packed and they’re READY to go! On Friday August 5, Team Canada will be participating in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies at 5pm MT. Three hundred and thirteen athletes, 98 coaches and 107 support staff from 37 sports make up Team Canada. Eighty one per cent of the Canadian athletes competing in Rio are affiliated with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute (COPSI) Network.

CSI Calgary is proud to extend a special farewell and good luck to 21 CSI Calgary affiliated athletes in athletics, basketball, cycling, rowing, rugby sevens, shooting, soccer, swimming, volleyball (beach and indoor) and wrestling. Each athlete heads to Rio with their CSI Calgary “Team” beside them in spirit.

“I’m very excited,” says Mathieu Bilodeau, competing in the 50km race walk event. “It’s my first Olympics”. Originally competing in triathlon and swimming, Bilodeau made the switch to race walking two years ago.

Kelly Drager, CSI Calgary Performance Dietitian is also looking forward to her first Olympic experience as she travels to Rio with Wrestling Canada Lutte for testing and collecting data. In weight class sports, there are unique nutritional components that can make or break an athlete’s performance. “I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to see the work we’ve done with the athletes at CSI Calgary over the last four years come together at the Olympics,” says Drager.

Jasmine Mian, female wrestler in the 48kg event, is one of those athletes. "I relocated to Calgary in 2012 with hopes of making the Rio 2016 Olympic team. I always had an Olympic dream, but CSI Calgary helped me turn that dream into a reality,” says Mian. “The CSI staff combined their expertise in wrestling, strength and conditioning, nutrition and mental performance to help me become the best version of myself. I feel very prepared and hungry to reach the podium. I can't thank CSI Calgary enough for helping me realize my podium potential."

A special send-off to two-time Olympic wrestling medalist and CSI Calgary Next Generation coach Carol Huynh, in her role as Assistant Chef de Mission for Team Canada. Carol’s contribution to sport in Canada and her work with the International Wrestling Federation make her a good fit for this role. “It’s a great opportunity for me to be on Team Canada in a totally different way. I can bring my different experiences to the table,” says Huynh.

The CSI Calgary, is proud to support Canadian athletes training in Alberta in preparation for the Olympic/Paralympic Games. “We are excited for all Canadian athletes travelling to the Games,” says Dale Henwood, President and CEO of CSI Calgary. “We will all be watching them with such pride.”

CSI Calgary would like to thank our funding partners for enabling us to deliver our wide array of leading-edge services to athletes and coaches. We are grateful for their support: Sport Canada/Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Alberta Sport Connection, Coaching Association of Canada, Canadian Paralympic Committee, WinSport and the University of Calgary.

They have fire in their hearts and ice in their veins.

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
03/08/16

Despite the often accepted notion that athletes are tough as nails and can weather any storm that comes their way, the reality is that athletes can struggle with mental illness too. One in five Canadians suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse or other mental health disorders and only one third of those who need mental health services actually receive them. This alarming statistic is the same for athletes: mental illness is as common in athletes as in the general population.

The truth is no one is immune to mental health disorders, including the best performing athletes. It is clearly acknowledged that athletes tend to experience circumstances, pressures and expectations that are very different from non-athletes, which can result in a tendency to minimize signs of weakness and an expectation to push through certain challenges.

Sport subjects a person to a unique set of challenges and circumstances that, at times, negatively impact their mood and functioning. Additionally, there may be subgroups of athletes at elevated risk of mental illness, including those in the retirement phase of their careers, or those experiencing performance failure.

Recently, CSI Calgary staff and sport service providers had the opportunity to learn more about mental health issues and their role as stewards for the athletes they work with. The seminar, hosted by Game Plan Partner, Morneau Shepell – a human resources consulting and technology company that provides employee assistance, health, benefits, and retirement needs – served to educate staff about mental illness, how to recognize warning signs in athletes and what they can do about it.

Through the partnership with Morneau Shepell, Game Plan athletes can access a range of mental health support services. The goal is for staff and service providers to support athletes who may be suffering with mental health issues by building a bridge to professional help.

One of the key messages shared at the seminar was that mental illness is not a sign of weakness and should be taken as seriously as a physical injury. Jay Keddy, Canadian Women’s Alpine Skiing Assistant Coach, says that he is used to dealing with physical injuries in his sport but realizes that mental illness is part of the game too. “This program can help us deal with issues quickly and better than we could on our own. There is some confidence that comes with knowing that this support is available,” says Keddy.

The seminar also served to outline the symptoms of various mental illnesses, such as major depressive disorder, which can help sport service providers recognize warning signs that an athlete may be struggling beyond the day-to-day pressures of the athlete environment. Keddy adds, “Sometimes there are bigger issues than you can deal with in the sport world. It’s not always a sport psych issue, it could be depression or childhood trauma, which is more difficult to address.”

When mental health issues appear there is potentially an immediate impact to performance, but the greater concern is that mental illness will impact the athlete’s life beyond sport. For CSI Calgary Para Medical Lead, Shayne Hutchins, it goes beyond the sport experience. If an athlete shares something with him that causes concern, he will address it with great care. “For me, all of a sudden it’s a human thing, it has nothing to do with sport anymore. It’s about helping the person with their life and what they’re dealing with,” he says.

Tanya Dubnicoff is the Cycling Centre Calgary Athlete Development Lead, a World Champion, World Record Holder and three-time Olympian in track cycling. She remembers reaching out for help during a rough patch in her career. Now as a coach she recognizes the responsibility to care for her athletes and not only focus on training and performance.

Ultimately Dubnicoff says it’s okay to verbalize that something is not feeling right. “It’s the grey area we don’t necessarily talk about,” she says. “We all know to ask ‘how are you doing?’ but this is about caring for the athlete above and beyond their performance.”

Game Plan offers Canadian athletes access to services, resources and programs. Athletes and coaches are encouraged to contact their local Canadian Sport Institute to learn more about athlete eligibility requirements and services available under Game Plan. For more information visit www.mygameplan.ca, in Calgary contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
10/08/16

There were moments along the road to recovery where cyclist Tara Whitten felt things were not coming back the way they were supposed to. Her head and neck were immobilized in a brace for ten weeks, so that a crack in the base of her skull could heal. In order to keep training, she rode a stationary bike. “It wasn’t going well at first with the brace,” she recalls. “I was really overheating and the position was uncomfortable.”

Inexplicably, Whitten crashed head first into the back of a parked vehicle on her way back to the hotel after her final training ride in Rio at a reconnaissance camp in March. “I don’t remember what happened,” she says. “I’m missing twenty minutes of memory. I just remember seeing the back of the vehicle, it’s almost like a memory, a flash image.” The crash resulted in a concussion and crack in her occipital bone – her bike was undamaged.

Despite the setback, Whitten was able to quickly overcome her disappointment and anger. “I surprised myself when I got back and my perspective was really good. Pretty soon I accepted that I might not recover in time. I accepted that it might not happen.” Still, Whitten approached her recovery with unwavering focus and determination to do whatever she could to get back on the bike, and on the starting line in Rio.

That meant adjusting to some creative ways of enabling her to train. Dr. David Smith, Director of Sport Science at the CSI Calgary, was instrumental in helping Whitten train through her recovery. “I lay awake at night thinking about how we were going to get her on the bike with the neck brace on.” The result was a device that allowed Whitten to ride upright so that there was no downward pressure on her neck.

Coming back from serious injury just months before the Olympics took an army of support. Even before her plane touched down in Calgary, Dr. Smith had mobilized a team to help Whitten heal and get back on track for the Olympics. The team worked closely with Whitten and made adjustments almost daily to maximize her recovery.

“The CSI Calgary was incredible,” says Whitten. “I felt so supported through the whole process. There was huge collaboration between the support team and it was the best approach. I couldn’t have asked for a better team.” Dr. Smith says that Whitten did what she needed to do. “She had total trust in the support team in providing the right training and therapy, which minimized her recovery time,” he says.

Shayne Hutchins, Paramedical Lead at the CSI Calgary, worked closely with Whitten throughout her recovery and was impressed with her internal fortitude. “Her healing capacity is something special,” he says. “Healing takes an incredible amount of energy, but that plus training, therapy and stress takes a lot from a person.“

Whitten took things one day at a time. For someone used to planning out her entire season a year in advance, not knowing what would happen was challenging. “I wasn’t sure how quickly I would come back,” she says. Dr. Smith and the team had a similar outlook, “We always said we’re just going to do our best, no matter what adversity or challenge comes our way.”

Whitten still had to qualify for the Olympic team and had just one chance at a race in Quebec in early June. Her ability to race was in question up to the last minute. “Two weeks before the race Doc questioned whether I should go,” she recalls. “But as soon as I got the brace off it was night and day. I felt awesome. Just being outside again was amazing.” Doc says, “The day after the brace was off, Tara did a workout that convinced me she was ready to go.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, she placed second in that race and was the top Canadian. “I believed it was possible,” she says. “I did surprise myself in that first race back – I was thinking ‘just race, be in the moment.’” Three weeks later at the Canadian National Championships she won the time trial by 1:18, a huge margin. It meant securing her spot in Rio and regaining her potential as a medal threat.

It’s impossible to predict where Whitten might have found herself now if the injury hadn’t happened. A fork in the road that cannot be untraveled has reshaped her journey to Rio, a turn that could have ended her career. Remarkably, Whitten is unfazed by the detour. “Right now, I feel like I’m exactly where I would want to be.”

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
27/07/16