In July 2015 I travelled to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to work with the athletes of Team PNG at the 15th Pacific Games. Our physio team cared for around 600 athletes over the two weeks. The games consisted of twenty sports ranging from athletics, swimming, rugby 7’s and boxing, to the traditional pacific island Va’a (similar to canoeing). It was an absolute privilege to experience the rich cultures of the various Pacific nations, particularly of beautiful Papua New Guinea. Surprisingly, they speak over 850 languages (which made treating challenging at times), from its population of seven million people. The experience proved even more special as Team PNG hit the medal tally with 29 more gold medals than their nearest rivals New Caledonia, who have topped the tally twelve out of the previous fourteen Pacific Games.
Gordon Pritchard, Physiotherapist
