CHIROPRACTORS AT
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
We reached out to Team Canada’s chiropractors to talk about their
experience at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Here are their stories.
DR. JENN TURNER, DC
This is my second time attending the Olympics as a chiropractor,
athletes for which they care. It is really awesome to work with
but my first time working at the Olympics with Canada’s bicycle
others who have that common passion at their core.
motocross (BMX) team. I have been working with the National and
Development BMX teams over the last four years, and the value of
For me, one of the most memorable BMX moments of the Rio
chiropractic in this sport has been monumental. BMX is a high injury
2016 Olympic Games was within the first few minutes before Tory
sport, but the culture of the sport has not put injury prevention or
Nyhaug rode his first moto. I was so incredibly nervous for him
management in the forefront. Being a developing “elite” sport,
and thought about the countless hours I had spent with him over
this is only the third appearance for BMX at an Olympic games. At
the past four years preparing for these games. With this moment
present, there is not a lot of research or innovation out there with
came the realization that I had done everything I could have
respect to musculoskeletal injuries in the sport.
done to prepare him for this moment—now it was up to him.
After coming out of the gate strong and carving the first corner
As the Canadian national BMX team’s year-round chiropractor, I
low to come out in front, he won the heat and eventually ended
have been exposed to working with kids involved with the sport at
up qualifying for the superfinal the next day. There had been a
all levels. I feel that my role is multi-faceted in that I can work on
number of crashes that day that had left many of the athletes
injury management but also injury prevention when introduced to
out with serious injuries—but not for Nyhaug. He was confident,
these different groups. I have been given the opportunity to educate
motivated, and uninjured. After placing fifth in the exciting BMX
different grassroots-level development groups for kids, including the
Olympic Final (less than one second off the gold medal!) our team
Olympic prospects for 2020. I have been able to teach parents as well
was ecstatic. Tory was gracious and a true winner, and of course,
as kids about the benefits of chiropractic along with how to take care
this became a career highlight for me as a chiropractor.
of your body when involved in such a high-risk sport.
BMX injuries are more serious than the sports I have worked with
in the past—namely with the national road and track cycling
teams—and most definitely different than the injuries that I see
in my day-to-day practice. Treating athletes in this sport makes
things a lot more stressful for sure, but I enjoy being pushed past
my comfort zone and learning new things, while simultaneously
nurturing new strengths.
As a chiropractor travelling with a national team—not only to the
Olympics but to other international competitions and events as
well—I really enjoy having the opportunity to collaborate with the
other health professionals and integrated support teams. I am
often working alongside other amazing professionals: coaches,
orthopaedic surgeons, nutritionists, and strength and conditioning
professionals. Each of these professionals is at the top of their field.
With athletes working at such a high level, the staff has so much to
offer and to contribute not only to their sports performance but also
to the development of their treatment. As a result, all members
of their healthcare teams make each other better, as well as the
(From left) Jacques Landry (Cycling Canada High Performance
Director), Dr. Jenn Turner, Tory Nyhaug (BMX), Adam Muys
(BMX Canada Team Manager), PH Sauze (Tory's Personal Coach).
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DR. JOHN VARGO, DC
It was an honour and a privilege to be named to the Athletics
Canada Integrated Support Team (IST) as team chiropractor for
the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Track and field athletes have long-benefited from the integration
of chiropractic care into their training and post-competition
recovery. Chiropractic care for the treatment and prevention of
injuries—and ultimately as a performance enhancement tool—is
a critical element for the world’s greatest track and field athletes.
Their neuromusculoskeletal systems are extremely sensitive and
as a result, their response to chiropractic treatment is magnified.
They achieve results not normally seen in daily practice.
One of the more interesting things I have learned from
experienced practitioners who have preceded me—and from my
own experience in working with high-level athletes—is that,
often times, less is more. Our natural instinct in a crisis is to
(From left) Aaron Brown, Andre de Grasse, Dr. Alban Merepeza,
Brandon Rodney, Akeem Haynes.
treat with everything we have in our armamentarium. However,
these finely-tuned athletes often respond negatively to overtreatment by feeling tired and competing flat. Chiropractic is
DR. ALBAN MEREPEZA, DC
definitely an art and a science. The art component is so important
My experience at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was a fantastic
Games. Ultimately, our role is to facilitate their performance.
one. Although this was my fifth time attending the Olympic
Games as a chiropractor, I was really excited to be part of
Canada’s athletics team and what was, in my experience, the
best Olympic Games yet. This was the largest athletics team
Canada has ever sent. It also included many talented athletes
with—in my opinion—the potential to deliver the best results
of any past Canadian Olympics athletics team. For me, the
most exciting part of being part of the games was that I could
follow many athletes I admired directly to their competition:
Andre De Grasse, Phylicia George, Aaron Brown, and Brendon
Rodney. I also had the privilege of being present at their
ultimate events. I was excited to be able to provide care for
them in Rio and support them as they reached new heights
when treating athletes in an elite athletic setting like the Olympic
Athletics Canada works very hard to ensure that their IST members
and athletes can work together throughout the year to establish
clinical relationships. The goal is to maximize each athlete’s response
to treatment and ensure their needs are well-known prior to the
time-sensitive and pressure-filled environment of the Olympic
Games. Our continued goal is to optimize the dynamic interaction of
all of our skill sets and areas of expertise for the benefit of the athlete.
I’m proud to be a member of Olympic gold medalist high jumper
Derek Drouin’s personal support team—which also includes
his coach, strength and conditioning specialist, massage
therapist, and sports psychologist. The integration of many
and fulfilled their Olympic dreams.
health professions and varied skill sets are all brought together
The results were great for Canada as a whole with Andre
be a part of the Rio 2016 Canadian Olympic team and to assist
De Grasse leading the way with three medals. This was
undoubtedly the best moment for me—to see him succeed
and challenged to function as a unit at the Olympic Games. To
our amazing team of athletes with chiropractic care during the
biggest competition of their lives was truly an honour.
and put Canada back on the sprinting map.
Overall, I felt that the Rio 2016 Games were a good showcase
of our chiropractic profession. I had the privilege of being
part of a great medical team and the great fortune of working
alongside my friend and colleague Dr. John Vargo for Canada’s
track and field team. I got to see Dr. Jenn Turner working
with cycling Canada (whom I had not seen since London
2012 Olympic Games) and Dr. Mohsen Kazemi working with
Canada’s taekwondo team (whom I had not seen since the
2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico).
Overall, it was a fantastic and memorable experience.
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Fall 2016 | Canadian Chiropractic Association
(From left) Dr. John Vargo with Gold medal high jumper, Derek Drouin.
OLYMPIC CONTRIBUTORS
DR. ALBAN MEREPEZA, DC, MSC
Dr. Alban Merepeza graduated from the
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in
2005 and has practiced in Port Hope, Ontario
since his graduation. He owns and operates
Port Hope Health Centre, a multidisciplinary
health team that includes audiologists, chiropractors, medical
doctors, naturopaths, physical therapists, and registered massage
therapists. He graduated from McMaster University in April 2016
with a master’s degree in rehabilitation sciences and is currently
completing his Fellowship of Chiropractic Sports Sciences.
Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse and Dr. Merepeza.
He has attended five Olympic Games: 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014,
and 2016; the Pan Am Games in 2011 and 2015; the Mediterranean
Games in 2009 and 2013; the Central American and Caribbean
Games in 2014; and numerous world championships of track and
field, swimming, and weightlifting. He recently attended the 2016
UEFA European Championship in France.
DR. JENN TURNER, DC
Dr. Jenn Turner is a graduate of the Canadian
Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto.
She resides in Vancouver running her
multidisciplinary clinic Moveo Sport &
Rehabilitation Centre. She is currently waiting
to sit the exam to accomplish her Fellowship of Chiropractic
Sports Sciences. Her career highlights include working at the 2012
Olympic Games in London and most recently at the 2016 Summer
Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Turner has been working
with Cycling Canada for the past nine years in the Track, Road and
BMX programs. Currently, Dr. Turner is competing recreationally
as a runner and trail runner while figuring out the work-life
balance with the recent addition to her family of her first baby
Tanner in December 2013 and second baby Maddie in August 2015.
Olympic BMX cyclist Tory Nyhaug with Dr. Jenn Turner.
DR. JOHN VARGO, DC
(From left) Olympic high jumper Derek Drouin, Dr. John Vargo, and
middle-distance runner Hilary Stellingwerff.
Dr. John Vargo received his Honours Bachelor
of Science Degree in Human Kinetics from the
University of Guelph and his chiropractic degree
from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic
College in Toronto. He also completed a postgraduate chiropractic sports injury specialty and is a Fellow in the
Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences (Canada).
Dr. Vargo is the team Chiropractor for the Sarnia Sting Junior A
Hockey Team. He was on the medical team for the Pan American
Games in 1999, the Commonwealth Games in 2014, the World
Championships of Track and Field in 2015, and the Summer
Olympics in 2016. In addition to his practice in Sarnia, Ontario,
he also currently acts as a chiropractic sports injury consultant
for many professional athletes in the NHL, NFL, and Athletics
Canada. He has provided sports injury coverage for numerous
events at the international, national, provincial, and local levels.
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