Olympics
Touch World Cup - Nottingham 2024
Commonwealth Games – Birmingham 2022
Olympic Games – Beijing 2022
Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020
Winter Olympic Games – PyeongChang 2018
World Indoor Athletic Championships – Birmingham 2018
World Athletics Championships – London 2017
Islamic Solidarity Games – Baku 2017
Olympic Games – Rio 2016
European Games – Baku 2015
Commonwealth Games – Glasgow 2014
Olympic Games – London 2012
Winter Olympic Games – Vancouver 2010
World Games – Kaohsiung 2009
Touch World Cup - Nottingham 2024
The Touch World Cup 2024 took place in Nottingham, and three members of the Surrey Physio team went up to support the event. Held every four years, the Touch World Cup is the largest tournament in the global touch rugby calendar and will be hosted in England for the first time since the first World Cup in 1988. Touch is sometimes referred to as Touch Football, and Touch Rugby, although it's played with a rugby ball and has a 6-man team on the pitch at any one time.
The University of Nottingham's Highfields Sports Complex and Riverside Sports Complex served as the venue for the event. This year's Touch World Cup was the biggest event so far, featuring 190 teams representing over 40 nations from every continent. The tournament showcased 13 different categories, including various age groups and mixed teams, reflecting the inclusive nature of the sport.
Touch rugby, a minimal contact version of rugby, is known for its inclusivity. It allows players of all ages and genders to compete on the same pitch, with teams typically consisting of six players who can be men, women, or a mix of both.
Surrey Physio sent Vedika, Michael and Tim to support the Tonga team providing physiotherapy and osteopathy for the 17-man squad. We provided therapy support in assistance to the Head Doctor for the team, Muihouma "Ossi" Falevai. It was a fantastic event with Tonga beating teams from Japan, Scotland and South Africa, among others. Tonga finished 9th overall out of 21 nations. Providing physiotherapy support at the Touch Football / Touch Rugby World Cup was a great honour for us, and an incredibly positive experience for everybody.
Commonwealth Games – Birmingham 2022
This was the most incredible games, largely due to the absolutely superb organisation by the Organising Committee, supported by two incredible universities: Birmingham and Warwick. Probably the highlight was that 14 Surrey Physio team members including both physiotherapists and osteopaths represented Surrey Physio at the Olympics. This was a record number, and helped by England hosting the Games.
Our team were based at Cricket, athletics, volleyball, squash, Warwick Games Village, Birmingham NEC village, and Birmingham University Village. Tim was with the Tonga national team again this year. The Tonga team were amazing as always. So much love for this incredible group of people.
Thank you to Surrey Physio team members and volunteers: Antonio, Barry, Chris, Daksha, Jarryd, Komal, Lachie, Roopali, Sev, Sue, Vicente, Will, Himu and Tim.
Olympic Games – Beijing 2022
The Olympic Games in Beijing were an interesting and logistical nightmare to get to. Firstly, Beijing did not want any overseas medical volunteers, in the same way that Tokyo did also not want any overseas medical volunteers. This limited our team. Tim amazingly got the call that he could go out about one week prior to the Games, again with the Ghana Team and looking after one athlete. Ghana was represented by Carlos, a very good ski racer based in Switzerland. It was a pleasure to look after him, and be part of the Ghana Team.
Beijing was almost completely shut down during the Olympics due to a very large outbreak of COVID. Roads were shut, and spectators were mostly unable to watch the games. Everyone was quarantined and covid tested daily. But incredibly Beijing did have snow for the first time in 30 years, which helped to top up the machine-made snow. Tim ended up seeing athletes from Bosnia, Timor Leste, and Saudi Arabia as well as looking after our Ghanian athlete. The Olympics were a great life-experience and a pleasure to be working at.
Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020
Amidst a COVID pandemic, Tim was back in action as the Physio for the Tonga Olympic Team. Spectators were not allowed to watch the events, and Tonga sent a team of 6 athletes to the Games including weightlifting, swimming, Taekwondo, and 100m. All support staff and athletes were heavily bubbled due to COVID, and we were tested daily. Should an athlete show a positive test, their Olympics would be over and the athlete would go into self-isolation.Fortunately none of the Tonga team got COVID, and all competed above their expected levels, with three top 7 placed finishes.
Winter Olympic Games – PyeongChang 2018
Thanks to one of our patients, Grace, who introduced the Surrey Physio team to the Tonga team. We found ourselves sending a physio out to PyeongChang in Korea to support a brilliant athlete, Pita Taufatofua, in the 15km cross-country skiing. Pita did very well and stayed injury-free for his race, finishing very credibly and bringing recognition to the wonderful country of Tonga.We were joined by coach Thomaz, and Manager Steve as well as some members of the National Organising Committee including Taki, who was Chef De Mission.
World Indoor Athletic Championships – Birmingham 2018
Surrey Physio had three members of the team volunteer: Tim, Jack and Tommy, who were physiotherapists at the Birmingham Indoor World Athletic Championships. Birmingham was a very good host city, and many of us stayed together in shared accommodation along the canal (mostly on a sofa or sleeping on the floor). We treated many athletes from nations all across the world. The world indoor athletics saw many athletes set world records, and it was a fantastic experience to be part of it.
Thank you to Jack, Tommy and Tim who did an amazing job of representing Surrey Physio.
World Athletics Championships – London 2017
Three of the Surrey Physio team were at the World Athletics Championships in London. It was great to be back at the Olympic Stadium. We had physios placed in hotels to provide medical care to athletes where they were staying, and we were at the warm-up track at the main medical tent.Islamic Solidarity Games – Baku 2017
Surrey Physio were represented at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan with a UK team of Physiotherapists and Osteopaths.The Games were excellent, and the organizing committee in Baku were top notch, lead by Lynn Booth and the overall Medical Director Adam Crump – both world-class physiotherapists and fantastic clinical leads.
Olympic Games – Rio 2016
Tim was honoured to represent Surrey Physio as part of the ROCOG multi-disciplinary team polyclinic team based in the Athletes' Village, Rio de Janeiro.Tim spent three weeks working with some of the best athletes in the world, from many small nations including St. Lucia, Cayman Islands, Benin, Guinea-Bisseau, and many others. Tim was also lucky enough to go to the opening ceremony at the famous Macarana stadium, and see events such as athletics, sailing and handball.
The whole experience was incredible, and there was lots of learning, experiences, mountains climbed, athletes treated, and friends made.
European Games – Baku 2015
The European Olympic Committee organised the first European Games for multi-sports, which took place in Azerbaijan, hosting 6000 athletes from 50 countries in 20 sports.It was a fantastic venue, and the Azerbaijan organising committee flew 60 physiotherapists from the UK, as well as medical doctors and other medical professionals out to Baku to look after the medical provision.
Tim joined the team and provided physiotherapy to numerous athletes from numerous nations across Europe and further afield. The government paid for a brand new Olympic stadium, gymnastics arena, aquatics centre, shooting park and velopark.
Commonwealth Games – Glasgow 2014
Two of the Surrey Physio team were involved in the CWG in Glasgow 2014, as well as several patients. Tim Allardyce the clinical director was one of the Lead Physios for the Games, based at Scotstoun Stadium, in Glasgow. Jack Petersen, Chartered Physiotherapist, worked in the Polyclinic in the Athletes' Village.
Both Tim and Jack had a fantastic time volunteering their services for not only the CWG, but also for training prior to the Games.
Tim said:
“Working at an event like this was such an honour, and a great learning experience. Glasgow was buzzing, and the atmosphere was awesome. Not only did two members of the Surrey Physio team represent the organising committee, but we had a number of athletes compete at the Games including James Ellington, Chris Symmonds, Jo Calvino and Emily Godley. What a great time we had in August 2014 and thanks to Scotland and the town of Glasgow for hosting such a terrific event!”.
Olympic Games – London 2012
Surrey Physio at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012WOW! The Olympics were a brilliant experience for our team, our athletes, and supporters.
Three physios at the clinics were directly involved in the Olympics:
Matt Lawrence: Lead physio for men’s Goalball, Team GB
Emily Parry: Volunteer physio, based at Eton Dorney for the rowing
Tim Allardyce: Volunteer osteopath based in Athletes' Medical centre, Athletes' Village.
(Also, two of our previous physios were Team GB physiotherapists).
Here are some pics of us in action:
"When I heard the Olympics and Paralympics was looking for volunteers I jumped at the chance. I have always enjoyed volunteering, going all the way back to my schooldays when I worked with Mencap. And being able to help out at the biggest sporting event in the world turned out to be a unique experience.
I was lucky enough to be placed at Eton Dorney for the paralympic rowing. I used to row a lot myself so being a part of the events at Dorney, a place where I have competed, was a great experience.
Being a volunteer at Dorney involved helping the athletes and spectators enjoy as smooth an experience as possible. The turnout was amazing and I worked with a great mix of people, from their twenties to their sixties. Most people had taken time off work to be there and we all really pitched in. I was based in athlete’s services, and had various tasks from looking after the guide dogs, to helping the athletes onto the water, by carrying equipment, and most importantly helping answer any questions athletes and coaches had.
My favourite Olympic moment has to be seeing the Niger rower Hamadou Issaka, having taken up the sport three months before, finishing last to a standing ovation from the crowd. For me this moment sums up the generous, warm and international feeling the London games brought out in people. Getting to meet Matthew Pinsent was pretty special as well.
People speak about the legacy effect the Games has had. I have definitely seen this at my local rowing club where interest in the sport has grown exponentially. I am now looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in two years’ time where I hope to be both a spectator and a volunteer." - Emily Parry.
I wanted to share with you a typical day in the medical centre, and this was exactly one year ago:
“First patient in was from Guyana (they came without Physio or doctor), and about 5mins later Pete (another athlete, a Taekwondo fighter) arrived, bad timing but good to see him, I had treated him every day for the last 5 or 6 days. Then Nicola (Team Lead) asked me if I would go to show a Physio how to use the Alter-G. The patient is a world class hockey player from Spain had broken his big toe. Met the Spanish team Physio, called Moses, and then met the athlete. Showed him exactly how it all worked, strapped him in, and 20 mins later he was done. It’s a really great piece of kit the Alter-G – an anti-gravity treadmill. When I came back, had a patient, who was a 6m75cm long jumper from Sierra Leone.
Then treated an American Samoan, apparently the island is south of Hawaii, and they have a small team of 9 athletes.Then I did a tour to the Iranian delegates and President of the Iranian Olympic Committee. He was really nice, and I even put him on the BOSU which went down well with the delegates. Next patient was a cyclist from Uraguay who was one of the cyclists involved in the big crash today on the cycling road race. He went into the guy in front, and then someone else went into him and he strained his knee. I asked the doctor to come in and check it in case he thought it required MRI scan, but we agreed it didn’t, so continued treatment. After that America’s strongest weight lifter came in for some acupuncture. Went to eat at 10:40pm in the food hall, no queues so got food quickly.
Wrote up my notes at 11:05-11:20 and left at 11:25pm. Ran to Stratford again, so unfit,and dripping in sweat again, missed the tube but got one a few minutes later, then arrived at London bridge with 5 mins to spare, which would have been fine except they decided to divert the passengers right around the front of the station due to the crowds which meant another run to platform 4. Got home at 12:25am”
The photos shared are some of the things/sights you may not have seen so hope you find them interesting.
We were also enormously privileged to look after a number of Olympic stars, (I can think of 6 athletes who have used our services over the last few years who were members of Team GB, but three of the most recent to use our services were:
James is British 200m champion 2012, 2013, and 4x100m British team. James did brilliantly to qualify for the Olympics, and has since got even quicker. James is a local lad and we looked after him for about 4 years.
In 2012, Lawrence threw the 4th longest distance in the World going into the Olympics – not bad considering he was only 20 years old! He is the current British record holder, and 2012 British champion. Another local lad and clinic supporter.
Croydon Physio have been looking after Abdul since 2005. British Champion in 2011, and qualified for the Olympics with a 65m throw. A huge supporter of the clinic, and indly invited us to his post-Olympics party -thanks Abs!
After the Olympics, we celebrated by taking the whole team (30 of us including some friends and family!) to the Paralympics on the final Saturday evening. Here is Kelly, Denise and Penny outside the stadium.
OK that’s enough for now, I have so many more pics but I think I am going to bore
you all!
So anyway, that’s the Olympics review.
Best wishes as always
Tim and the Team
Winter Olympics – Vancouver 2010
Tim was hugely honoured to be part of the Ghanaian Ski Team, as Physiotherapist looking after Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, or famously known as The Snow Leopard.Tim helped the Team in Italy, for Winter Training, and also at some FIS ski events in Italy and France. Tim was also present at the holding camp on Vancouver Island, for pre-Olympics training and acclimatisation.
Tim’s roles included bag carrying, video shooting (and video analysis with the coach), running errands, picking up journalists from various locations, drilling holes in the slope, fitness training, massage, physiotherapy, hill running, selling T-shirts, and lots more! So you can see the role of a physiotherapist is quite wide.
“Everyone said we wouldn’t make it to the Olympics, but we made it, and competed in Vancouver 2010.” Kwame finished 47th out of 48 in the slalom but over 100 skiers started in the challenging slope conditions, with many crashing out or not finishing. Some people said that the Ghana Ski Team were the most famous team at the Olympics (after Canada of course), with the team receiving more press coverage than most. The Snow Leopard gained huge notoriety and adoration from the Canadian public as well as people all over the world.
I look back on my time with the Ghana Ski Team with fond memories. Tim Allardyce.
World Games – Kaohsiung 2009
Our first major sports games, the World Games in Taiwan. At Croydon Physio we had been looking after a number of top Polish and top World Powerlifters who were based in London working for a building company. One such company employed a Polish powerlifter called Jaroslaw (Jarik) Olech, who has already won several world championships and was an undisputed world’s strongest powerlifter across all weight classes when scores were standardised.
Tim flew to Taiwan to support the Polish Powerlifting team, who came home with a Gold, Silver and Bronze, so a very successful event and absolutely brilliant time in Taiwan. It was an absolute pleasure to be there, the Polish team were incredible and wonderful, and walking at the opening ceremony was an experience never forgotten.