Chief Fixer – Helen O’Neill, joined the Canadian Ski Cross team in Peer, Belgium, for an intensive week of slalom training. She treated, strengthened and conditioned the words best ski-racers as they trained for the upcoming season. We asked Helen to share all!
WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT SNOW VALLEY, PEER?
I joined the team during a technical training week, focused on improving their slalom skills. After finishing their last ski cross racing season in April 2023, the athletes had spent the summer back in Canada, diligently working on their strength and conditioning to prepare for the upcoming season.
The training conditions on the slope were perfect for ski racers (ice, and the harder, the better), allowing athletes to maximise extremely sharp ski edges resulting in quick turns and lightning-fast speeds.
The slope was divided into lanes, each hosting a different team. Stationed at the top of the course, I helped to launch athletes down the slopes as lanes cleared. During each training session I was on-hand for on-the-spot physiotherapy, taping, and advice.
During two of the sessions, we trained alongside Team GB and the legendary Dave Ryding, a true inspiration for everyone on the Canadian team. Watching the world’s best carve the ice with precision, grace, and power was a memorable experience.
WERE THERE ANY COMMON INJURIES OR NIGGLES YOU TREATED AS A SPORTS INJURY PHYSIOTHERAPIST?
After our time on the snow, my role as the team physiotherapist kicked in. Back at the hotel, I addressed all the athletes’ needs to ensure they were ready for the next day’s training. With the team returning to the snow after a five-month hiatus, most of them had various aches and pains, particularly in their calves, hamstrings, and backs.
After treatment sessions I met with the coaches to discuss each athlete’s condition, determine whether they should take a break from the slopes (for instance, due to a cold or an ankle sprain), decide if they needed taping, or suggest ways to enhance their physical capabilities for the next training session.
It’s had been a few years since I last worked with professional athletes during training. Witnessing their dedication, watching them fine-tune their skills and technique, providing treatment, advice, and tailored stretches, as well as teaching activation patterns that would help them train more effectively, was incredibly rewarding. The athletes embraced any recommendations and watching improvement during the week was immensely gratifying. Athletes reported feeling better, stronger, and more powerful, thanks to the collaborative effort.
HOW DID THE VISION FOR FIX START?
The concept for Fix, was born on a plane journey back home from working with the Snowboard Cross team in Chile in October 2011. I wondered how I could extend this level of support and health optimisation to a wider audience beyond elite athletes. While Fix has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the community, the core principle of offering comprehensive support remains at its heart. The philosophy of ‘Together we are Stronger’ applies now more than ever.”