Guadalajara Experience: Para Panamerican Games 2011: The Canadian Flag is up!

Team Canada Cheers!

What news! So many things are happening that it’s hard to tell it all.

Today was an exciting day as we had our official "Welcome" to the Village with the Flag Raising Ceremony. This is also when the Opening Ceremony Flag bearer is selected. ONe of the veteran basketball player, David Durepos, will carry the flag. A great selection. Then everyone goes nuts, screams and cheers as we walk through the Village to the Flag Plaza. After the ceremony, we were treated to a fine traditional dancing show.

Dave Durepos, our Opening Ceremonies Flag Bearer

Yesterday was a building day. As more of the Canadian Teams are arriving and settling into the Village, we become busier with medical and therapy services. Bruce, the other doc, and I have to meet every athlete to review all their medications and nutritional supplements to avoid possible doping issues and to assure they have all their forms with them. With over 100 arriving yesterday, we were busy with that task. It’s great to meet all these fantastic athletes. The team is really young this time! I couldn’t believe it.

Most of the rest of the day was spent dealing with our EMR (electronic medical record). We are paperless in the clinic and since it is a new system, we all have to get used to it. We are finding some minor problems with it and need to communicate with the designers and yesterday I kept moving in and out of the building with my laptop trying to find a strong enough WiFi connection to Skype back to Canada. Next thing you know, I look at my watch and it was 5:30! I didn’t remember if I had gone to lunch.

Time doesn’t matter anymore. Everyone is asking :”What day is it again…?”, I ate dinner at 9 pm today and I am now typing this at 11:30.

Even practices are going full tilt

I went to the women wheelchair basketball practice today. For the last year and a half I have been their team physician and have found them to be a great bunch of athletes to be involved with. It is great to see them all here. I reviewed all their meds today and checked out some of their practice. They have a big commitment here, as the top three teams finishing will head to London next summer at the Paralympics. This is important. It will likely be a wicked Canada - USA final and we all know what we want out of that one.

There’s much more focus now. Athletes have their daily schedule and their day is specifically planned. It’s better like this. When everybody was arriving, there was too much “hanging around” waiting for plans to develop. Now you see people with their game face on.

Had to attend the Team Physician meeting today chaired by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). After being involved at the 2007 Para Panam games and the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, I have developed a good friendship with the medical director of the IPC, Peter Van de Vliet. He’s a great guy who has been a great ally for the Canadian athletes. We have developed a strong rapport and in these types of events, connections and friendships provide so much comfort and make life much easier.

Tomorrow, more athletes to see, meetings with goalball and boccia coaches and therapists and I have to go check out some more venues and practices to see how things are going.