The Downside of Sport
Wear your helmet, photo by V.Croome
Sports bring joy to people in so many ways, through personal accomplishment, winning euphoria, the adrenaline of participation and even just the entertainment of being a spectator. Unfortunately as with anything in life there are lows amongst these highs. As such an avid sports fan it is tough to discuss such a downer topic but the reality is if you play a sport competitively or recreationally injuries can and will happen.
Through my involvement working with the Canadian Alpine Ski Team I quickly learned it wasn’t “if” a racer hurt him or herself, it was when. Knee injuries appear to be the most common, however breaks and sprains of every body part are the norm to an athlete who races down a sheet of ice at speeds upwards of 125km/hr in their underwear. Concussions are another terrible reality of sport. I remember Cary Mullen (former World Cup winner) discussing that the years he spent trying to rehab from concussions were worse than any time spent rehabbing broken bones or torn ligaments. Not only are you sidelined physically, there is such a mental factor involved and everyday tasks can become difficult and tedious.
Concussions appear to be far too mainstream in sport these days. Every time I turn on hockey highlights (which is less frequent these days due to the collapse of the Edmonton Oilers) there are discussions surrounding concussions. While I may be a little tired of the parade of disciplinary hearings Principal Shanahan has been having lately, there obviously has to be some changes made. The NHL’s best player, Sidney Crosby, has sat out more the last two years than he has played due to concussions. Are athletes just bigger and stronger and more apt to cause damage? By giving out suspensions are they really going to change the way they play the game?
What about those of us that are recreational athletes? We too need to worry about concussions, wrecked knees, and broken bones. Luckily we generally are not involved in activities that see 6’ 4, 250 lb men trying to body check us. We can however arm ourselves with the proper tools to mitigate injury. No brainers such as always riding with a helmet, or wearing the appropriate safety equipment. And also ensuring our body can handle the sport we are doing. Fernie has an abundance of facilities and classes to help you stay fit. They definitely will not only help you perform better but prevent injury as well. If you are unfortunate to encounter injury (you know the freak fall on the “last” run of the day to the bar where you end up on crutches for three months), Fernie has plenty of excellent people and places to help you get back on the hill as fast as possible.
Check out the business directory on this site for all Fernie health and wellness listings.
A shout out to a few of my favourites that definitely got me back up and running (so to speak) following a broken and dislocated ankle a few years back - Essential Yoga Studio, The Massage Place, Fernie Physio and Fernie Chiropractic.
Previous Columns
About the Author
