The Olympic Dream Overcomes Adversity
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 […]
It’s a Human Thing
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 […]
Generating a Performance Solution: When the Unexpected Happens
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 […]
Are You R.E.A.D.Y.?
Olympic-bound freestyle wrestler Erica Wiebe remembers clearly the match that catapulted her onto the Canadian senior women’s team for the 2013 World Championships. On the morning of the wrestle-off that would determine who would make the team, she awoke to pounding on her hotel room door at 8:45 am. Her match was scheduled for 9:00 […]
Ready for Prime Time
Shoes off, standing in socked feet, instinctively sensing the next move, following the athlete’s performance with his body and mind. This is how you will find Kyle Shewfelt, 2004 Olympic gold medalist, doing his job as the CBC gymnastics analyst at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Shewfelt’s approach is unusual, but one […]
Calgary 2026?
By Ken Read Each winter the Calgary region hosts up to seven annual World Cup events. Another four winter sports stage World Championship or quadrennial World Cups. Alberta is home to eight of the twelve winter National Sport Organizations. Canadian Sport Institute Calgary has matured into the largest of Canada’s seven Sport Institutes. In 1981, […]
Hearts in the Game
There is a moment in sport when everyone but the athlete falls away. All of the people who had input into crafting an athlete for performance excellence – coaches, physiologists, psychologists, strength trainers, physiotherapists – step back to the sidelines, left only to watch, knowing that they have done everything they can to prepare the […]
Paving the Pathway to the Podium
Budding athletes dream of the Olympic podium, but from a distance – it’s a long way off. This precious dream is held deep down in their young hearts by the belief that it is possible to one day step up and earn that glorious, coveted medal on the day it matters most. That the prize […]
Tackling Concussions Head-on
Injuries, especially serious ones, can be devastating for athletes. Injuries are unwelcome, difficult and challenge athletes in ways they are not accustomed to – forced rest, recovery, and exercise only aimed at regaining lost capabilities. There is one injury that can be particularly debilitating and disheartening to overcome however, one that can indefinitely suck the […]
Fuel for Gold Provides Nutritional Niche
Food is good. Good food is better. For tired athletes looking to refuel after a tough workout, access to an affordable, healthy meal is vital. Thankfully for them, Fuel for Gold, a restaurant/kiosk located at the University of Calgary, offers just that. The CSI Calgary undertook the opening of the kiosk in 2011 as a […]