Hi Josie,

To get into working in the Olympics; there is a few ways:
1) Be part of the Host Nations Games medical team, is the easier way. Once qualified, and obtained the appropriate experience, then just go through volunteer process (same as any volunteer) and become a Games volunteer. However this often requires you to have working rights in the host nation, and be a registered physiotherapist in that nation.
2) Work full-time within national sport setups. For example work your way into a national sports team, or national institute of sport setting, and then go with the team that your been working with full-time. Some of what i wrote states this, eg. start in youth programs, get experience in all kinds of sport ect.. and eventually move onto senior & Olympic Team with that team.
3) Be volunteer for the Olympic Team, part of the headquaters medical core; for Australia this requires varies experiences with elite sports, and further qualifications (such as Masters in Sports Physiotherapy).

Now out of those options, the 2nd is the only one that most likely would be working full-time within elite sports. The other two options are usually physiotherapists working in private practices with general population as their main clientele, and just working few weeks or month of the games. However if you just want be part of the Games, the other two are good options, but if you want work full-time with Olympic athletes then 2nd option would be better choice. Now this however all varies based on the country, with different countries having different approaches.

Cheers Madalyn,

And i remember your experiences too well. I remember the commutes, and the minimal pay, struggling through my university degree and thinking if it was worth it. Or would it not just be easier to work for a hospital or a clinic, and i know it would definitely have been. But eventually the hard work paid off. So keep it up. Good Luck.

Jake you are very right, it’s not just for Elite athletes, it’s important for everyone to ensure that their body remains fit and healthy with no limitations or issues preventing them from achieving their peak performance.