PhysioQinetics

In Part 2 of the "Road to Tokyo Olympics" series, Tom told us how his physiotherapy and Pilates training has helped him maintain and improve his performance. In this final episode Part 3 of the mini-blog series, Tom will share with us how the Team GB National Training Centres had adapted in recent COVID time.

"Although I felt that I coped well with lockdown training, I was eternally grateful when elite athletes were given special dispensation to return to National Training Centres. Having been unable to go rowing on the water for months, the prospect of finally be able to get back out onto our training lake at Caversham was scintillating. However, as you would assume, it was not simply a case of rocking back up at Caversham and going out rowing. In the weeks preceding our return to training, we had to attend multiple virtual presentations, watch video walk throughs, attend 1-1 consultations with the doctor and physiologist and sign additional Covid-19 protocol forms. Once all these checks had been completed we were finally allowed back into the training centre, albeit in a staggered manner."

"Whilst previously we had trained three times daily at the National performance facility, this was brought back to only twice daily in order to reduce the number of people on site. This meant that home training still continued once a day. Whilst unusual, I certainly was not complaining. It continued to give me the extra recovery time between sessions and allowed me to carry on with my additional sub sessions."
 

Credit: 

Tom Barras

 

"Rowing, being an outdoor sport, made it quite easy to abide by all social distancing measures whilst on the water. However, inside the clubhouse, one way systems had been put in place, masks were worn, showers and changing facilities were closed and dining room seats spread to ensure two metre distancing. Weights training also changed quite drastically, with each athlete given their own lifting platform to work from and masks made compulsory between sets. Deep cleaning also became a crucial, if not time consuming exercise- with each individual weight plate having to be disinfected and wiped clean between each exercise."

"Although this has been one turbulent year, I am so grateful that I had the space to train at home over lockdown, and that I had the time to further my physio knowledge. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to get back rowing at the high performance training centre again. And with the education I got during lockdown, I can now look forward to the year ahead- keeping up my own sub-programme, continuing with virtual online courses and striving to stay as fit and healthy as possible as I look to build back up towards the now 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games."

It is now less than 4 months to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics - and we are all looking forward to seeing Tom represents Great Britain in the Olympic Games, As one can see from this 3-part mini-series, elite athletes up and down the country, just like Tom, had overcome tremendous challenges in the past year adapting to new training routine and to mentally cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic. Thankfully, we are now exiting lockdown soon, and are hopefully entering the final straight stretch on this exciting Road to the Tokyo Olympics. Be in no doubt that your patients, friends, and colleagues here at PhysioQinetics will be rooting for you and Team GB!

Good luck Tom :-) Hopefully we will get some future update from you closer to the Game - currently scheduled to open on Friday, 23 July 2021.