Experience at two Olympics as a health specialist for Team GB and two as health team lead for New Zealand, along with four Commonwealth Games has provided Bruce with insights and understanding of what is needed to keep athletes in the best of health. It has also given him a level of pragmatism which says expect the unexpected.
The 38-strong contingent of health care specialists who will come together to form the NZOC’s medical team for Paris is made up of doctors, physiotherapists, massage therapists and a nurse from HPSNZ and a number of NSOs.
Bruce says a significant focus in the lead up to Paris has been on communications with the health team and preparing sports to be ready to go, especially in the area of illness prevention.
“We have spent a lot of effort communicating, educating and working with sports, their athletes and coaches on the importance of good hygiene practices in preventing infections,” says Bruce. “Athletes are frequently at risk of infection due to the reduced immunity observed in heavily trained athletes.
“We learnt a lot from Tokyo 2020 as well as Rio 2016 and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games about approaches to controlling the spread of infection in the team environment. Processes developed for Tokyo as a result of Covid have provided us with a greater understanding of how to implement strategies to minimise infection in New Zealand athletes.”
Bruce says arriving at the Games in good health is essential, so preparation for the Games begins with behaviours and protocols established well in advance of leaving New Zealand.
“Athletes and their support teams are being provided with resources and advice around mask wearing in high risk environments such as airports, planes and other public transport, the importance of (and access to) hand sanitising and hand washing and encouragement to avoid mass gatherings of people in the immediate pre-Games period.”
Expecting the unexpected is a sensible but also realistic proposition for the health team. “While the issues around Tokyo amidst the Covid backdrop were well known, there have been unexpected and very real health concerns at a number of other Games.
There was an outbreak of mumps during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018, Zika virus was a real concern at Rio 2016 and even the Birmingham Commonwealth Games was heavily impacted by infections and COVID-19. It would be unrealistic to not expect Paris 2024 to also have health related concerns.
“Already the media are talking about potential health issues in Paris such as bed bugs, risk of infection from the water quality in the Seine for events like the triathlon plus a bit of a buzz about dengue fever. So we have contingency plans for any or all of these and other potential health related issues.”
A particular challenge for the health team is supporting the surfing competition based in Tahiti, with surfers taking on the infamous Teahupo’o waves.
“It is without doubt a unique and breathtaking location and an amazing wave but being separated from the rest of the team in Paris is not without its challenges,” says Bruce.
“Tahiti is a tropical country and while it has a good health care system it is pretty limited in its resources. Surfers, support teams and officials are staying on an ocean liner moored some 10 minutes out from the surf spot and the beach from which surfers will be taken out to the break.”
Bruce says the challenges of this are broadly two-fold. “The ocean liner is the athletes’ village for at least 10 days, a potentially confined environment which increases the risk of infection transmission. In addition, Teahupo’o is a wave that poses a genuine risk of injury.”
But Bruce is positive about the support the New Zealand surf team will have. “We’ve confirmed a dedicated doctor to support an experienced surfing physiotherapist which is reassuring for our surf team.”
Bruce and Jordan Salesa, the New Zealand health team physiotherapy lead, will be the first of the health team to arrive in Paris, on 12 July.
“Our role is to work out what space we have in the Village and how best to use it so we can create a health centre that enables world class healthcare over the period of the Games.”
With so much Games experience under his belt, Bruce has a clear plan for a typical Games day. “We will have a meeting of the full health team first thing in the morning which is largely operational and provides us with the opportunity to engage with everyone and ensure they are all ok.”
Each clinical discipline will then break into their own team session and those people who have been rostered on to provide support at outlying accommodation or competition venues will head out to their sites.
The days are long with a typical shut down of the health centre around 10.30pm or 11pm, but the reality is that the end of the day depends on the end of competition each day.
Bruce and his New Zealand health team will be part of the wider and extensive Paris 2024 health care network providing support on the field of play, at the Village and, liaising with the local heath care team if hospital resources are required.
“The lead up is and has been a lot of planning, people recruitment, setting up processes, preparing for the best and worst case scenarios. When the rest of the health team arrive in the days after Jordan and me, and then the athletes and coaches begin to arrive, it will be extremely exciting, motivating and a remarkable experience for everyone involved.”
After four Olympics, you can sense Bruce’s passion for his role and those of his team to provide the very best health care support for Kiwi athletes.
