Sport & Exercise Medicine Physician Dr Liam West and Physiotherapist Madeleine Thompson have just returned from working at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Now that they are back from Birmingham we asked them to tell us a bit about the experience . . . .
How did your involvement with the 2022 Commonwealth Games come about and what was your role?
MT: I applied back in 2021 and was lucky enough to have made it through the selection process. My role was Physiotherapist as part of Team Australia’s Medical Headquarters.
LW: Like Maddie I applied in 2021. I was originally scheduled to work in the Medical HQ role but early in 2022 I was approached by Athletics Australia who offered me a contract to cover their athletes during the Games. I was away for 3.5 weeks with Athletics, initially as the only doctor in the staging camp just south of London, before I was joined by Dr. Paul Blackman as we headed into the athlete’s village during the competition phase.
What did your role at the Games entail / what was the day-to-day like for you working there?
MT: These games were different to others in the fact that there were 5 separate villages within Birmingham. This was due in part due to the village not being able to achieve completion prior to the commencement date due to COVID. This meant that the performance health care team, comprised of Sports Physicians, Physios, Soft Tissue Therapists, Infectious Disease Experts, and a Nutritionist, were spread out over the 5 villages. I was stationed at the CGN venue which housed, boxing, weightlifting, para powerlifting, badminton, table tennis and netball.
Day to day involved treating partly within the clinic at the village and partly attending the competition venue. The medial team at this venue were housed at a different village, so it was always enjoyable heading home to catch up with the other village to hear about their day over way too much pizza!
LW: During the staging / training camp prior to the games I spent a lot of my time getting to know the athletes & their medical / injury history – this was pretty challenging as we had 87 athletes flying in at different times from all over the world across both para and able-bodied disciplines. As you would expect, I had a large role in educating the travelling party regarding COVID risk mitigation strategies and performing RAT / PCT tests. Unfortunately, we had a few athletes test positive after arriving from the World Championships held in Oregon, USA. I therefore needed to manage these individuals in isolation whilst trying to balance their performance preparation. It wasn’t all COVID of course, I had a role to play in managing any injuries that arose and creating rehabilitation plans for those that came into the camp with pre-existing injuries. There was no day-to-day pattern given the amount of work we had to do!
Given the number of athletes we had in our travelling party, we had to enter the village in waves on different days to ensure there was adequate accommodation! I was in the first wave so was able to help set up our physio space (a University dorm kitchen!) & medical space (an empty bedroom). Once all the athletes had arrived, my daily role involved medical care both at the athletics track and at another stage back in the village. This would often see us leaving the village at 7am and getting back at 11pm! Despite the long days, it was fantastic to be part of some of the athletes’ journeys during the games, participate in a high functioning sports medicine team, and watching some truly world class athletic performances.
Did you get to choose the sport/how you were involved in at the Games? If so, what made you select that? If not, what was the allocation process?
MT: Normally as part of working within Medical Headquarter you cover a mixture of sports, however at this Games, due to the complexities of the decentralised program I was working mainly with the Table Tennis Team. Which compromised of 14 athletes, 8 able bodied athletes and 6 para-athletes.
LW: As I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to know before I got to the Games that I’d be covering Athletics. But for reference, application to be a medical team member at an international games usually involves submitting your CV with a cover letter and if chosen then an interview (or several).
What were the sporting facilities like?
MT: The facilities were well set up, and perhaps the greatest aspect was the crowds, nearly all events were fully booked, and the crowd were very involved and loud! Certainly our Australian athletes have never seen anything like it.
LW: Our training camp was held at Tonbridge School – this is the most expensive school in the UK so as you can expect the sporting facilities were fantastic. Unfortunately, the school dorms we were staying in did not have air conditioning or fans & when we arrived it was 39 degrees celsius!! Once at the games, the athletics stadium was brand new and a fantastic venue. Every single session was sold out to 30,000 very loud spectators producing a great atmosphere as Maddie mentioned.
COVID restrictions aside, how did this competition compare to others you’ve been involved in?
MT: For me I enjoyed being part of a wider performance health care team, in normal tours I might be travelling with a Soft Tissue Therapist, a Doctor, a Psychologist, or a Strength & Conditioning coach. However, on this tour we had a total of 28 therapists, some old faces and some new. We learnt a lot, it was great for networking purposes, and above all we had a lot of fun!
LW: I’ve worked as a venue medical officer at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games & 2018 Invictus Games, but this was my first time being a Team Doctor for a specific sport. It was much more rewarding getting to know the athletes, being involved in their preparations, and then seeing them compete. Working for Athletics Australia also gave me another opportunity to work at an international level after working for England U16 Football team and the Australian Diamonds Netball team – it is always a fantastic and rewarding experience working at the pinnacle of any sport!
How did it feel to go to the Commonwealth Games and support Australian athletes?
MT: It was a very proud moment walking onto the field during the Opening Ceremony, you really feel you are lucky to have been part of something very special. The athletes were delightful, has a strong high-performance ethic and were fantastic to work with. Each are very inspirational athletes and they welcomed me into their team with open arms. Better yet it was our most successful team ever, winning 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze, with the first ever medal in the singles event in history!
LW: Unlike Maddie, I am British (although I have applied for Aussie citizenship), but nonetheless it was fantastic to contribute to the Green & Gold. We were able to win the medal tally in athletics for the first time in many Commonwealth Games cycles which was very rewarding.
What was your highlight(s) of the trip?
MT: The highlight would have been watching the Netball Grand Final in which the Diamonds defeated a very challenging Jamaican side (who defeated them previously in the tournament). The Jamaican crowd contingent were deafening, and it was hard to hear the Aussie cheer squad, however the Diamond’s kept their cool with a brilliant win.
LW: My highlight was actually seeing my Mum & Dad who I hadn’t seen for 3 years due to COVID!! On the track it is hard to go past Ollie Hoare in the 1500m and Kelsey-Lee Barber in the Javelin.
How do you feel this experience will help you in treating your patients at Alphington Sports Medicine Clinic?
MT: Working in a multidisciplinary team alongside some of the profession’s greats, you always gain new knowledge. This is one of the reasons I enjoy attending the larger multisport games.
LW: Every trip that I go on, or sport that I work in, I am fortunate to learn a lot that I can transfer to my patients in the Clinic. From tips and tricks to add to my management toolbox, to an appreciation of the biomechanics involved in the differing disciplines in Athletics, I’d like to think I made the most of my opportunity in Birmingham.
For more information about Madeleine Thompson and Dr Liam West go to:
https://www.alphingtonsportsmed.com.au/practitioners#madeleine-thompson-nee-ellis-
https://www.alphingtonsportsmed.com.au/practitioners#dr-liam-west
