MELBOURNE, Australia -- In November 1993, Melbourne, Australia, was inundated with some of the strongest men and women in the world as they arrived to compete in the World Weightlifting Championships. Approximately 60 countries and 400 competitors were involved in these championships. The competition was held at the Royal Exhibition Building, site of the weightlifting competition of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
A full set of health services were available to the competitors both during their training and competition periods. A total of 23 chiropractors and final year chiropractic students of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) School of Chiropractic and Osteopathy were involved with the chiropractic support team.* Athletes and officials from the Eastern European block to the Pacific islands, Asia, North America, Europe and of course Australia, were treated for a variety of conditions.
It was gratifying for all of us to meet and work with Dr. Mike Reed, a chiropractor from California, who was the physician for the U.S. Weightlifting Team at the championships. Dr. Reed has been honoured by being elected to the medical board of the International Weightlifting Federation.
It is interesting to note that one of the officials treated was a medical practitioner from the British team. There has always been a close working relationship between chiropractors and many of the medical personnel involved with weightlifting. The health support team also included masseurs, nurses, sports trainers, sports physicians, and physiotherapists. There is a growing demand in the Australian sporting scene for this type of multidisciplinary support team.
The final year chiropractic students used this time as part of their fieldwork requirement for graduation from RMIT. This is an excellent way for chiropractic students to experience the diversity of patients before they graduate, and create an interest for those who wish to work in the area of sports injury and performance. This is one of the ways we may continue our presence in the sporting arena, providing a needed service to our society and influence our participation in major sporting events at a higher level.
During the games, the Melbourne Sports Clinic, a multidisciplinary clinic with a sports oriented patient base run by chiropractors, offered the Australian Weightlifting Team free chiropractic care and massage during the competition. This is another way we may exert a positive influence on sports organizational bodies, athletes, and coaches.
I would like to thank all the chiropractors and students for their participation, professionalism, and expertise. Thanks also go to the National Association and the Victorian branch of the Chiropractors' Association of Australia for their support with pamphlets, posters, and banners. A public education display with pamphlets was set up in the public seating area. From the number of pamphlets taken, it appears to have been a worthwhile exercise. A banner was hung in the precompetition warm-up area where is was highly visible for the television cameras. One of the weightlifters deftly acquired this banner for a souvenir. It's good to know that an athlete has taken away a bit of Australian chiropractic as a memento.
The next large sporting event in Melbourne, where a chiropractic support team will be organized, is the 1995 International Police and Fire Games.
Rick Ames, DC
Lecturer, RMIT
Bundoora, Victoria
Australia
Chiropractors Involved with the 1993 World Weightlifting Championships
John Adamopoulos
Rick Ames,
Andrea Bisaz
Joe Donnoli
Gary Krew
Ross McIlveen
Don Oyao
Frank Pederick
Dale Richardson
Morgan Simmonds
Michael Webb.
RMIT students:
Gavern Cherry
Bronwyn Evans
Janet Frost
Tanya Kelly
Cameron McConville,
Simon Mauger
Peter Metrevsky
Michelle Nuttal
Marie Pham
Mick Sexton
Barry Steele
Richard Squires
