TEAM: In any sport, injury risks and other medical issues come with the territory, but a new medical app, is making it a whole lot easier for Australian Youth Olympians to get the help they need.
For many athletes, the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games this August will be their first overseas competition, but for all, it will be an experience like no other.
To help ensure all athletes have a flawless Games, the medical staff for the Australian Youth Olympic Team (AYOT) are making sure all athletes have the tools to stay happy and healthy.
The app will be made available to all AYOT athletes, allowing medical staff to track and monitor an athlete’s physical well-being.
Dr Carolyn Broderick, Medical Director for the AYOT explains how the app will benefit athletes.
“The advantage of using a phone app is that the information becomes available instantaneously to their doctor, as soon as it is uploaded, unlike paper reporting which takes time to be returned or mailed,” Broderick said
“The app offers the athlete ease of use. It also enables them to complete their medical screening information online.”
As well as tracking physical injuries, the app also allows doctors to monitor the mental state of an athlete, which is just as, if not more important.
“It enables them to report how they feel each day with respect to tiredness, pain, energy levels, mood etc. so that the medical team can identify early any signs of overtraining, mood disturbance or injury,” she said.
Athletes will be able to download the app on their smartphones, but for those who may not own one they can still access the app on tablets or laptops.
The app was also put through its paces at the Winter Olympics in Sochi earlier in the year, where it proved to be a useful asset to the Team.
“It worked well in Sochi and has been further refined since for ease of use and reporting,” Broderick said.
It is just one month until 89 of Australia’s most talented young athletes will be heading to Nanjing, China for the second summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
The Games kick off on August 16 and run for 12 days.
Sam Rawlings
Olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam
