The three strong team of HPSNZers is led by Physiologist Anna Skipper whose experience at pinnacle events includes Preparation and Recovery lead at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as well as a support role at Gold Coast 2018. Supporting Anna is the vastly experienced Nutritionist Christel Dunshea-Mooij who will be working at her fourth Olympic Games as well as at Birmingham 2022, and Strength & Conditioning specialist Simon Chatterton who, like Anna, was on the Preparation and Recovery team in Birmingham and Tokyo.
While the team are HPSNZ practitioners, they are seconded to the NZOC to provide preparation and recovery support for athletes attending the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The team’s role has three distinct phases – planning and preparation including packing supplies and equipment for the Games, set up and delivery on the ground and reporting and unpacking.
Team lead, Anna, says the most important role of the team is to ensure athletes are able to do their normal preparation and recovery routines at the Games with familiar equipment and support.
“During the planning phase we liaise with coaches, High Performance Directors and operations managers at NSOs about their needs and the needs of their athletes. This phase is particularly important to ensure a seamless experience at Games time,” says Anna.
While there were challenges at Tokyo, most particularly due to the backdrop of COVID-19, there will be different challenges for Anna, Christel and Simon in Paris.
“Actually that is the difference,” says Anna. “Teams and athletes will be spread across Paris, the outlying areas of the host city, around France and as far away as Tahiti for surfing.
“We need to ensure that athletes receive a similar experience regardless of location.”
With the container carrying essential equipment and supplies packed and on the water, Anna and the team will now liaise with sports to arrange their bookings for physiology, nutrition and S&C services once they arrive in Paris.
The Preparation and Recovery team is one of the first groups to land in Paris. “Our first task will be to set up the recovery centre, kitchen and gym in the main village and to liaise with the support staff for sports such as cycling and sailing who will be based outside the village and will have their own travelling support staff.
Tahiti poses a number of challenges not the least of which being the time zone difference and the need to ensure they have what they need before surfers and their support crews arrive.
Anna and her team will work closely alongside HPSNZ medical lead, Dr Bruce Hamilton, who leads the NZOC medical team of doctors, physios, massage therapists and a nurse.
Come Games time Anna, Christel and Simon’s days are varied and look different from their normal roles at home.
“Typically we are up about 6am. Christel will be in the kitchen getting drinking bottles cleaned and filled and the all-important slushies prepped. Simon will open the gym about 7am for early gym sessions or activations and I will be in the recovery centre where athletes come to stretch and roll, do a session on a bike or have a dip in the recovery pools.”
It’s a real case of rinse and repeat says Anna as activity for the Preparation and Recovery team will continue throughout the day with a finish time anywhere between 10.30 and 11pm.
Athlete requirements tend to be a 50/50 mix of pre-booked or drop in needs. “We aim to get the teams to book our facilities in advance as they require a lot of resource. Conversely individual athletes tend to be more a case of support as needed.”
In addition to her role in the athlete kitchen each day, Christel has been busy in the preparation phase going through menus, which is particularly important for athletes with allergies. “She will also do consulting to support athletes at Games time. For example, some sports have specific weight requirements for competition and she will work with athletes and coaches to manage this,” says Anna.
Anna joined the NZOC site visit to Paris in February to assist with planning and to meet with the Paris 2024 organising committee. “Without giving too much away I can say the village is looking great. It has a real Scandinavian feel and I know athletes will be impressed when they walk in,” says Anna.
