FEATURE: LIFE ON TOUR LIFE ON TOUR: N THE ROAD AS A YSIOTHERAPIST My friends often tell me that I have one ofthroughout the day and night but itGlamourous is not a word that I would the best jobs ever. I get to travel all overcan house up to five laptops for gameuse to describe my role as team physio the world, see some spectacular places viewing, printer, treatment table, first aidalthough Jack of all trades is by far more and meet amazing people, oh and I get kit, GPS units, scales, spectrometer, descriptive. This is exactly what a team is paid to do it. It does sound appealing recovery bags full with food, buckets, wetall about. One in all in, get your hands doesn’t it? So I got to thinking about hand towels slung all around the room dirty and do whatever needs to be done how people view touring Sport drying, drink bottles, drink containers,at the time whether you think it’s your Physiotherapists, do they imagine it tomultitudes of hand sanitiser & Dettol, leftrole or not. The athletes are often told be as glamorous as my friends do? over water bottles, random coffee mugsthat they need to be versatile on the field and finally my clothes line with all theand be able to play in any position, I think I write this as I find myself with a rareunmentionables attached. that’s also appropriate for the off-field quiet and private moment as I sit in my staff. It was really quite refreshing to see hotel room in Ipoh, Malaysia. I can see theFor some this might sound quite our team Sports Physician help me wash rain moving in over the great expanse ofoverwhelming, players and equipment out sweat towels and drink bottles, totally mountains as I look up from my laptop, iteverywhere, your room open to one & allover qualified but none the less a true looks amazing, but it also probably meansand privacy a thing not so easily come by,team player. our game will be delayed again. I use thebut this is the one thing I absolutely love term ‘my’ hotel room loosely. I have comeabout being on tour. Being right in theA lot of time spent on tour is usually to learn that the ‘Physio room’ is anothermiddle of all the action, seeing thewaiting at the airport due to missed, word for ‘common room’. A place where processes this ‘Band of Brothers’ go delayed, cancelled flights or waiting for people like to congregate. Not only do through in order to bring their best your next mode of transportation to athletes come and go for treatment game each and every time. arrive, waiting at the hotel or gearing up VOLUME 36 • APRIL ISSUE 2018 31 auhceinnor/kcotsknihT