PhysioQinetics

Tom Barras joined us at PhysioQinetics in 2016 and continues to pursue his dream in representing Britain in the international rowing scene. He helped Team GB win a bronze medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championship at Sarasota, Florida; and has since set his sight at the Tokyo Olympics. 

The COVID pandemic in 2020 has no doubt been most frustrating to all of us - the social distancing, working from home, the endless home-schooling, and not to mention with the losses of loved ones. However, this frustration is perhaps felt on an additional dimension for many of our elite sportsmen/sportswomen, who had dedicated their whole life for the opportunity to compete in the ultimate challenge that is the Olympic Games.

Tom is currently training for the Tokyo Olympics now pushed-back to the Summer of 2021 - we are curious as to how the pandemic has affected elite sportsmen like him and how he has adapted to the "new normal" in his life as an athlete, with his training and preparation to represent Team GB in the Olympics.

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Tom Barras

Here is what Tom has to say about the impact of COVID postponing the word's largest sporting spectacle that is the Olympic Games:-

"2016 marked the start of the 23rd Olympiad, a four year cycle between the colourful climax of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the opening pomp of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It also marked my first season in the Great Britain Olympic Rowing Team. Since then, my body had been put through over 18,000km of gruelling training both on the water and on land, whilst my personal life had felt suspended. However, at the dawn of 2020 there looked to be light on the horizon- training and testing had been going well, and the Olympics were only a handful of months away.

Then Covid hit. Not since 1944 has an Olympic Games been cancelled or postponed, but this invisible enemy left the International Olympic Committee little choice other than to cancel the Games in 2020. In that moment, March 24th 2020, still unclear as to whether the Games were to be postponed or simply abandoned, it was hard to feel anything other than four years of sacrifice had been stolen from me. However, I wasn’t going to give up hope, instead knowing that I had to keep persevering."

“The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight”

Olympic Creed

"From the start of the nationwide lockdown in March 2020, until the beginning of September (when athletes were given special dispensation to train at National Training Centres) all training had to be completed at home. The garage was quickly de-cluttered and turned into a mock up indoor rowing / weights gym, whilst the bike was given an MOT to ensure its road worthiness. Although we still had a programme to follow, normally entailing a three session day, we were also given greater ownership and autonomy over how this programme was to be completed."

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Tom Barras

"For the past eight years I had been conditioned to a military style routine; early mornings, set breaks and repetitive training sessions. Until now there had been no option but to conform. However, with newfound flexibility in the schedule, this was my opportunity to try and make the programme work even better for me. Early starts only became a necessity when going for long bike rides, and as training was spread more evenly throughout day, session quality could be increased.

As a qualified physiotherapist who has specialised in musculoskeletal physiotherapy for the past five years, I sort to use my knowledge of anatomy, physiology and rehab protocols in order to improve the efficacy of my training. I had always wanted to create a few short sub-sessions specific to my needs and goals, and this extra time between sessions presented me with the opportunity to give the programme that little more personality."

In Part 2 of our blog series "Road to Tokyo Olympics", Tom will tell us more on how his physiotherapy and Pilates training has helped him improve his performance.

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Naomi Baker