New addition to the RYA Sports Science Support Team
by Nigel Cherrie 7 Apr 2001 12:16 BST
Physiotherapist Kim Chesterfield has been appointed to the Team GBR sports science team, heading up the essential physiotherapy support programme for World Class funded sailors.
RYA Olympic Development Squad Manager Stephen Park was quick to recognise the need to establish a world class support team for Team GBR early on in the Olympiad to ensure all the medal winning elements that helped Great Britain's record breaking success in sailing at the Sydney Olympic Games continue.
"Like every sport, our athletes have sports specific injuries and problems which need to be dealt with quickly and thoroughly to make sure their sailing programmes are not disrupted so specialist physiotherapy support is essential," explained Stephen.
"Due to the different demands that the various classes place on the body, it is also important that any injuries are identified before they become issues, which is where Kim's sports and sailing specific knowledge will be a major benefit to the World Class programme".
"The sailing team in Sydney were as prepared as they could possibly be in this field and we recognise the need to establish that standard early on in this cycle," added Stephen.
Kim, who is based at Eastleigh in Hampshire, has worked with a number of leading sailors and athletes in the past, including Olympic Gold Medallist Iain Percy, Lawrie Smith's crew in the 1997/1998 round the world race and former European and Commonwealth 400 meters champion, Iwan Thomas.
"I worked with Kim during my Sydney campaign and she always had the answers to my Finn related niggles," said Iain Percy.
Looking forward to her role with Team GBR, Kim commented: "It's obviously a very exciting personal opportunity to develop my work with the top performing Olympic sport in Great Britain and I hope my experience of working with elite athletes and encouraging the sailor-coach-sports medicine relationship that worked so effectively in Sydney will continue to make a medal winning difference down the line".
Kim will co-ordinate and develop the RYA's regional physiotherapy network and organise regatta physiotherapy and massage cover for key Olympic class and youth regattas. She will work alongside RYA Physiologist and Nutritionist Pete Cunningham (based at the Chichester Institute), RYA
Psychologist Dr Ian Maynard, (based at Sheffield Hallam University) and Honorary RYA Medical Officer Dr David Gorrod from Southampton.
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