Behind the scenes at Rio: meet the U of T physiotherapist helping Team Canada at the Olympics

The Olympics is the pinnacle of any athletes career and the same can be said for many physiotherapists.

Dinah Hampson is a physiotherapist with Team Canada who will be providing treatment to athletes competing in Tai Kwon Do, Sailing, Canoeing, Kayaking and Fencing. As she explains in this interview everyone is part of the team and this can involve unexpected tasks, with no grumbling she obliges the need, reflecting the respect and teamwork involved in becoming the best.

When doing her ‘usual’ work treatment is usually provided from a pop-up clinic for Canada however can be provided ad-hoc at specific sport venues and this can sometimes provide her with the best seats in the house! These perks don’t come without hard work. It has taken over 25 years of hard clinical, research and teaching in this setting to get to this point in her career encompassing paralympic and youth olympic games.

Dinah says her dream of working with athletes at the Olympics was created from a talk she went to at the University of Toronto. It filled her with excitement and energy and I am sure she will hope she instills that dream in you too.