As 2015 ends, the Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) Calgary has chosen to look back on some of the success stories of the past year.

We have compiled a list of the top five athlete performances of 2015. We began with a long list of athletes who achieved excellence by winning a medal at a major event. The staff then voted from the list based on a criteria of athletic excellence combined with the impact that the CSI Calgary had on the athlete’s performance.  

Cowntdown of the Top 5 CSI Calgary performances from 2015 

#5  McKeever Golden as he Adds to Lifetime Medal Haul
Brian McKeever, along with guide Erik Carleton, won the para-nordic 20-kilometre race at the IPC World Championship. No stranger to winning, McKeever has won 13 Paralympic medals in his illustrious career.

#4  New Canadian Takes Speed Skating Team to Unprecedented Level

Ted-Jan Bloemen set the 10,000m World Record and was an integral part of the Team Pursuit that won World Championship silver. The previously Dutch competitor has only competed for Canada for one year, taking advantage of his dual citizenship to compete wearing red and white.

#3  Wrestler Gathers Medals at Multiple Major ChampionshipsGeneviève Morrison won bronze at the United Wrestling World Championships and gold at the Pan Am Games. The 48kg wrestler’s results earned an Olympic berth for Canada.

#2  Multiple World Championship Medals
Denny Morrison continued his speed skating dominance with two World Championship medals, finishing second in both the Team Pursuit and 1500m.

#1  Biathlon History is Made!
Nathan Smith won World Championship silver to become the first Canadian male ever to win a World Championship medal in biathlon. Smith also won the men's 12.5-kilometre pursuit race at a World Cup in 2015, becoming only the second Canadian ever to capture World Cup gold.

Further to our athletes’ success, the CSI Calgary has had many other successes in 2015. The CSI Calgary has continued to exhibit leadership in a variety of areas. Here are a few highlights:

We hosted a new Strength and Power Performance Course twice during the year, offering aspiring coaches the chance to learn through interaction and mentorship

We increased our involvement in Own The Podium’s (OTP) NextGen Development Pathway to include bobsleigh, freestyle slopestyle, speed skating, luge, wrestling and men’s alpine

Skate Canada moved their home base to the CSI Calgary, taking advantage of having a training facility and services all under one roof

Three CSI Calgary team members are leading their respective areas in OTP’s National Sport Science Sport Medicine Advisory Committee (NSSMAC), an initiative to share knowledge to provide National Sport Organizations the best support possible

 The CSI Calgary is proud of the direct impact that our staff continues to have on many of the world’s best athletes. Our goal is always to strive for excellence. With the 2016 Olympic Games on the horizon, we continue to move forward with relentless determination.

Here’s to an amazing 2015 with great athletic accomplishment, and great things to come in the new year!

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Brittany Schussler: @BSchussler

Alors que 2015 prend fin, l’Institut canadien du sport (ICS) de Calgary a décidé de se remémorer certaines des réussites de la dernière année.

Nous avons compilé une liste des cinq meilleures performances sportives de 2015. Nous avons d’abord énuméré une longue liste d’athlètes qui ont atteint l’excellence en remportant une médaille lors d’un événement d’envergure. Ensuite, le personnel a voté pour des candidats de cette liste d’après deux critères : excellence sportive de l’athlète et incidence de l’ICS Calgary sur sa performance.

Cinq meilleures performances de l’ICS Calgary en 2015

#5  McKeever se couvre d’or, ajoutant à son impressionnant total en carrière
Brian McKeever, ainsi que son guide Erik Carleton, a remporté la course de 20 kilomètres en ski para-nordique aux Championnats du monde du CIP. Habitué des podiums, McKeever a remporté 13 médailles paralympiques dans son illustre carrière.

#4  Un nouveau Canadien guide l’équipe de patinage de vitesse vers de nouveaux sommets

Ted-Jan Bloemen a établi le record du monde au 10 000 m et était un membre important de la poursuite par équipe qui a remporté l’argent aux Championnats du monde. L’ancien athlète néerlandais patine pour le Canada depuis seulement un an, lui qui profite de sa double citoyenneté pour arborer le rouge et le blanc en compétition.

#3   Une lutteuse accumule les médailles lors de nombreuses compétitions majeures

Geneviève Morrison a remporté le bronze aux Championnats du monde d’United World Wrestling et l’or aux Jeux panaméricains. Les résultats de la lutteuse de 48 kg lui ont permis de se qualifier pour les Jeux olympiques.

#2  Médailles multiples aux Championnats du monde
Denny Morrison réaffirme sa supériorité en patinage de vitesse grâce à deux médailles aux Championnats du monde, décrochant l’argent en poursuite par équipe et au 1 500 m.

Les réussites de 2015 de l’ICS Calgary ne se limitent pas qu’à celles de ses athlètes. Il a continué d’assumer son rôle de leader dans de nombreux domaines. Voici quelques faits saillants :

À deux reprises cette année, nous avons offert à des aspirants entraîneurs un nouveau cours de haut niveau sur la force et la puissance qui leur donnait l’occasion d’apprendre au moyen d’interaction et de mentorat.

Nous avons participé davantage au parcours de perfectionnement Prochaine génération d’À nous le podium (ANP) pour y intégrer le bobsleigh, le slopestyle, le patinage de vitesse, la luge, la lutte et le ski alpin masculin.

Patinage Canada a déménagé son emplacement principal à l’ICS Calgary puisque cela lui permettait de regrouper l’établissement d’entraînement et les services sous un même toit.

Trois membres de l’ICS Calgary dirigent leur domaine respectif au sein du comité consultatif national des sciences et de la médecine du sport d’À nous le podium, une idée visant à partager les connaissances afin d’offrir le meilleur appui possible aux organismes nationaux de sport.

L’ICS Calgary se réjouit de l’influence directe que son personnel exerce sur bon nombre des meilleurs athlètes du monde. Notre objectif demeure d’aspirer à l’excellence. À l’approche des Jeux olympiques de 2016, nous continuons d’avancer sans jamais baisser les bras.

À une remarquable année 2015 remplie de réussites sportives sans pareil et aux grandes réalisations au cours de l’année à venir!

18 Novembre 

Trente-huit participants ont démontré qu’ils étaient #PARAFORTS lors de la toute première édition de l’événement Paralympiens recherchés, organisé par le Comité paralympique canadien (CPC) et l’Institut canadien du sport de Calgary (ICS Calgary) le 14 novembre dernier. L’événement donnait aux personnes vivant avec un handicap physique ou une déficience visuelle l’occasion de faire montre de leurs potentiels athlétiques dans un centre de haut niveau, avec l’espoir de devenir de futurs paralympiens.

Les représentants de Basketball en fauteuil roulant Canada, Canada alpin, Ski de fond Canada, Cyclisme Canada et Hockey Canada ont été ébahis par la détermination des athlètes soumis à une série de tests par le personnel de l’ICS Calgary. Ces tests comprenaient des évaluations anthropométriques, des sprints à pied ou en fauteuil roulant, des sauts en hauteur, des lancers de ballon médicinal, des mesures de force de préhension et d’endurance au moyen d’un ergomètre à bras et d’un vélo ergométrique.

Jason Poole, directeur des services à la performance à l’ICS Calgary, est d’avis que l’événement est historique pour le sport paralympique. « L’ICS Calgary est très heureux de collaborer avec le CPC pour dépister des athlètes potentiels et les initier au sport de compétition. Paralympiens recherchés est une merveilleuse initiative qui réunit plusieurs partenaires différents, dont le CPC, les organismes nationaux de sport et le Réseau ISOP. »

L’athlète ambassadeur Matt Hallat, trois fois paralympien, a galvanisé les athlètes d’un jour avec un vibrant discours d’ouverture. Il a été épaté par le nombre de gens prêts à mesurer leurs aptitudes athlétiques : « Le nombre de participants est incroyable. Paralympiens recherchés est un événement fabuleux parce qu’il permet à des gens de partout au pays de faire du sport et les incite à être actifs en tout temps. » D’actuels paralympiens, comme le cycliste Brayden McDougall qui a participé aux Jeux paralympiques en 2008 et 2012, étaient aussi présents pour se prêter à la série de tests.

Catherine Gosselin-Després, directrice générale du sport pour le CPC, a également été impressionnée par le nombre de candidats et leur désir de pratiquer des sports. « La prochaine étape est de transmettre les résultats des tests aux organismes nationaux de sport », a-t-elle précisé. « Selon les résultats et le profil des athlètes, les organismes pourront ensuite les inviter à prendre part à un programme d’entraînement de haut niveau ou leur fournir d’autres options de participation dans les sports. Chaque participant recevra une réponse de notre part et la possibilité de poursuivre son parcours sportif. »

Des journées de dépistage du programme Paralympiens recherchés auront bientôt lieu à Toronto, Montréal et Vancouver. Le CPC espère aussi s’arrêter ailleurs au pays au cours de l’année à venir. Ne ratez pas la chance de prouver que vous êtes l’un des #PARAFORTS. Visitez le site paralympique.ca/paralympiens-recherches pour vous inscrire en vue des prochains événements et savoir quand le CPC sera dans votre région.

Institut canadien du sport de Calgary : @csicalgary
Rédigé par Brittany Schussler: @BSchussler
Photo de Dave Holland: @CSICalgaryPhoto

November 18, 2015

Thirty-eight participants were #PARATOUGH at the first ever Paralympian Search held by the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary (CSI Calgary) on November 14. The event offered individuals with a physical disability or visual impairment the opportunity to test their athletic potential in a high performance environment with the hope of becoming a future Paralympian.

Representatives from Wheelchair Basketball, Alpine Canada, Cross Country Canada, Cycling Canada, and Hockey Canada were inspired by the athletes’ determination as they were put through a series of tests by staff from the CSI Calgary. Tests included anthropometric measurements, wheelchair or running sprints, vertical jumps, medicine ball tosses, grip strength, and endurance using an arm ergometer or velotron bike.

Jason Poole, Director of Performance Services at the CSI Calgary, declared the event to be an exceptional day for Paralympic sport. He emphasized, “The CSI Calgary is happy to collaborate with the CPC to identify potential athletes and to show them a path into sport. The Paralympian Search is a great initiative with many different partners including the CPC, the National Sport Organizations (NSOs), and the COPSI Network.”

Athlete Ambassador Matt Hallat, a three-time Paralympian, fuelled the athletes’ determination by kicking off the event with a rousing speech. He was impressed by the number of people who bravely tested their athletic skills, saying, “It’s amazing how many people showed up. Paralympian Search is great because people across the country can get into sports and be active for life.” Also present were current athletes such as cyclist Brayden McDougall, a 2008 and 2012 Paralympian, who was able to challenged himself in the testing environment.

Catherine Gosselin-Després, Executive Director of Sport for the CPC, was also impressed with the number of attendees and their desire to participate in sport. “The next step is to provide the test results to the NSOs,” she said. “They will make the decision to either invite the athletes into a high performance program or provide them with other options for participation based on the profile identified throughout the testing phase. Everyone who attended will be contacted and will be getting a response from us and an opportunity to continue in sport.”

The Paralympian Search plans to continue on to Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. CPC is also hopeful that they will be able to add more venues in the coming year. Don’t miss the chance to see if you are #PARATOUGH. Visit paralympic.ca/paralympian-search to register for future events and find out when the CPC is in a city near you.

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Brittany Schussler: @BSchussler
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto

Une année avant de remporter une médaille d'or légendaire en ski de fond olympique, Chandra Crawford en est arrivée à une conclusion importante : « Il faut déployer tous les efforts nécessaires pour que les filles continuent à pratiquer des sports. » Elle a constaté de première main qu'un grand nombre de filles talentueuses ont arrêté de pratiquer des sports, car elles ressentaient une pression de se consacrer à des objectifs typiquement plus féminins. Gardant tout cela à l'esprit, Crawford, de concert avec des organismes sportifs locaux et ses coéquipières, a créé le programme Fast and Female dont la mission actuelle s'établit comme suit : « offrir des programmes qui favorisent la santé, le bonheur et l'activité sportive chez les filles durant l'adolescence ». Une année plus tard, Crawford est devenue championne olympique, et son aptitude à communiquer sa passion aux jeunes sportives s'est affirmée comme jamais.

Lying awake, staring at the clock, heart pounding, tossing, turning and worrying about not sleeping... Oh, the despair! A fitful sleep the night before a big race is disconcerting for any athlete. While this experience can be unsettling, what is more critically important when it comes to sleep is quality and duration over the long term.

According to Dr. Amy Bender, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Calgary and Centre for Sleep and Human Performance, missing a few hours of sleep the night before competition is unlikely to impact performance. Rather, it’s the persistent lack of adequate sleep throughout a training block or whole season that can negatively affect an athlete. “Chronic deprivation is the main concern and we are trying to manage that across an entire season,” she says.

“Ongoing research points to an association between performance and sleep duration and quality,” says Dr. Bender. Studies in the literature support the link between sleep and performance. However it’s difficult to control for every variable as performance improvements can be attributed to other things, such as practice.

Jess Kryski, CSI Calgary Sport Physiologist for Canada’s Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon teams, says she’s noticed a potential association between sleep and performance with her athletes. In one instance, two athletes were going through periods of decreased sleep quality and quantity during the race season. “Their performance was not good and although we can’t attribute that just to sleep issues, it definitely seemed to play a role,” says Kryski.

The lack of recovery from training and racing due to sleep issues is challenging to overcome. In Kryski’s experience, with some athletes suffering from periods of poor sleep it didn’t matter how much their training was adjusted, she couldn’t successfully load them the way she wanted to because recovery were simply not there.

Additionally, Kryski says, “over the years working with the teams and using the monitoring tools we have, it seems that when things aren’t going well in training or racing it tends to line up with sleep quality and duration.”

Dr. Bender is the primary investigator for a number of ongoing studies examining sleep and its relationship to recovery and performance in CSI Calgary athletes. She works with athletes and teams across Canada to assess baseline sleep and the impact of sleep optimization strategies. Additionally, Dr. Bender works with teams to implement jet lag management strategies, which consist of a travel plan, both pre-trip and at the destination.

Using the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire and a wrist-worn activity monitor, Dr. Bender evaluates an athlete’s typical wake and sleep habits and patterns. The athlete will then implement sleep optimization strategies, for example more nighttime sleep, naps and reducing exposure to blue light before bedtime.

Finally, Dr. Bender will assess athlete sleep during the optimization period and compare it to the baseline. While sleep duration is typically measured with the wrist-worn activity monitor, sleep quality is primarily a subjective measurement achieved via questionnaires. Data is currently being analyzed and preliminary results indicate less reported fatigue and improved moods, as well as improved satisfaction with sleep quality during the optimization phase as compared to baseline.

One of the most challenging habits for athletes to change is their exposure to blue light from electronic devices in the hours before bedtime, which can negatively impact sleep. “The blue light tells our brain to wake up, which can impact how long it takes to fall asleep and waking up during the night,” says Dr. Bender. “It decreases melatonin secretion, the hormone that makes you sleepy at night.”

During the sleep optimization phase, athletes are instructed to use blue blocking glasses that block out 99% of the blue light from screens. This can reduce its negative effects on sleep for athletes who are exposed to screen time in the two hours before bedtime.

Ultimately, the goal of Dr. Bender’s research is to improve performance through better sleep. It represents another piece of the puzzle in the quest to enable athletes to achieve their potential in sport. To sleep, perchance to win!

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Kristina Groves: @kngrover
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto
26/10/16

One year before Chandra Crawford's legendary success as an Olympic Cross-Country Skiing Gold Medalist, she came to a realization: "We have to do something to keep girls in sports." She had witnessed first-hand the plethora of talented girls that had stopped participating in sports because they felt pressure to conform to more traditionally feminine pursuits. It was with that in mind that Crawford, along with local sport organizations and her teammates, created the Fast and Female program, who's mission today is: "Deliver programs that keep girls healthy, happy and active in sports through their teens." One year later, Crawford became an Olympic Champion and her ability to "connect that young age group to the red and white dream" gained unfathomable steam.

As a Canadian Sport Institute Calgary (CSIC) athlete for her 14 years on the Canadian National Cross-Country Ski Team, Crawford knows what it takes for females to succeed in sports. She credits much of her own success in high performance sport to the work of the CSIC and its employees, such as exercise physiologist Jodi Hawley who "worked with my team from before I won my Olympic gold until my last Olympics in Sochi. Jodi would measure my physiological parameters, but also dismantle a potential psychological melt down if I had a bad test by taking a moment to connect with me. I was so grateful to always have her."

Saturday, November 1 marked a big step in the direction of creating a measurable impact on female athletes, when Crawford hosted the first Fast and Female Summit at the WinSport and Canadian Sport Institute facilities at Canada Olympic Park. The program's most diverse event since its inception in 2005, the Summit was extremely successful. It was "our biggest event in Canada in terms of most athletes, parents, and volunteers," with 20 different sports represented, and the highest caliber of speakers for the parent/coach seminar.

The line-up of speakers included Canadian Sport Institute Mental Performance Consultant Clare Fewster, along with Shawnee Harle, and Stephen and Lea Norris. Knowing the time and energy that high performance support staff members put into athletes' careers, it is especially significant to Crawford when "people like Clare, of that high caliber, spend time on their Saturday to come and talk about girls in sports. They really care and we really appreciate that. The CSIC's entire staff has been so supportive of Fast and Female. It is really fun to share our dream together of more female sport participation."

Crawford notes, however, that through all of the amazing lessons taught at the Summit, the most inspirational moment came from an unplanned experience. "I took all of the girls and we were allowed to work out in the high performance gym. They have a sign on the wall that says, 'Stay Humble. Be Hungry.' We had 120 girls, all under the age of 16, go into the gym and get to walk through the CSI athlete lounge. We walked them into the CSI and said, 'Imagine being an athlete who gets to use this facility. This is the last time you get to work out in here until you are an Olympian.' It was all so motivating for them – they were envisioning what it would be like being an Olympian in that environment."

Currently working on her MBA at the Haskayne School of Business, Crawford aims to continue expanding Fast and Female along with the help of the organization's other part-time employee, Marie-Helene Thibeault. With the direction that things have been going over the past nine years, and the enthusiasm that has been generated within the female sports community, the future of women's sports in Canada is looking bright.

Be sure to visit www.fastandfemale.com to find out how your organization can host a Fast and Female event and keep girls in sports!

Stay in the loop!

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Writer Brittany Schussler: @bschussler
Photo Credit: Dave Holland @csicalgaryphoto
Fast and Female: @FastandFemale, www.fastandfemale.com
Chandra Crawford: @ChandraCrawford