Huskie Health: The team behind the team

This state-of-the-art facility, funded by the generous donation of Ron and Jane Graham, has provided the opportunity for the Huskie Health and Strength teams to collaborate with the Canadian Sport Centre Saskatchewan (CSCS) and the Sports Medicine and Science Council to support both Huskie athletes and elite athletes in Saskatchewan. These Interdisciplinary Support Teams (IST) have allowed the chance for high-performance athletes to remain in Saskatchewan when many are required to move away for training opportunities.

One instance of collaboration among these organizations is the recent creation of an IST to support a regional training group of Diving Canada. The partnership is spearheaded by Jessica Pawlik from Huskie Health and Jason Weber from Huskie Strength in collaboration with Heather Haynes from CSCS and Dr. Katherine Thompson, a Sports Medicine Science Council of Saskatchewan Consultant.

Together, they have provided comprehensive support to five elite divers, including Rylan Weins and Margo Erlam, who are representing Canada on the world's biggest stage in Paris.

Erlam, who is making her Olympic debut, has qualified for the Women's 3m Individual Springboard starting next week (Aug. 7th). Weins recently claimed Bronze for Team Canada in the Men's Synchronized 10m Platform and will later compete in the Individual 10m Platform.

In representing Canada, they will also showcase the talent emerging from the Saskatoon training group, with two of the five national team members coming from the program

Jessica Pawlik has been instrumental in the program's provision of sport physiotherapy care for athletes. Her work has focused on assisting athletes with recovery and optimizing performance patterns.

Parallel to Pawlik is Jason Weber from Huskie Strength, who is also the Coordinator of the Human Performance Centre. Weber is dedicated to creating and implementing strength and conditioning programs and working to adapt these programs to individual athletes based on goals, performance KPIs, and testing and performance. His work and ability to utilize performance-testing and performance-monitoring technologies, such as force platforms, have been invaluable in optimizing athlete performance.

The state-of-the-art facilities and equipment at Merlis Belsher Place, including the Strength and Conditioning room and Force Plates, provide the ideal environment for the IST's work. The available resources allow the team to provide detailed support and tailor their care to the athletes' needs.

Another leading member of the Huskie Health team is Ainsley Oliver. In addition to her work with Huskie varsity teams, Oliver has been leading the way in the Track & Field support system present at Huskie Health, working with Huskie Head Coach Jason Reindl, Olympian Michelle Harrison, and Paralympian Ashlyn Renneberg.

Harrison and Renneberg will be attending their first Olympic and Paralympic Games, competing in the Women's 110m hurdles and T13 Javelin, respectively.

The pair are a perfect example of the benefits of training at home, with Michelle Harrison returning to Saskatoon to become a back-to-back U SPORTS Champion before a three-time Canadian Champion.

"In an Olympic training cycle, the benefits of training at home are exponential. From being surrounded by family and friends to even having home-cooked meals on the table at the end of a long training day can go a long way to an athlete's long-term development and success," said Oliver. "Rylan, Michelle, and Ash have all benefitted from having the Ron and Jane Graham Centre here at home."

While Huskie Health and Huskie Strength primarily focus on the Huskie Athletics student-athlete population, they are also committed to supporting the Saskatoon community. They extend their expertise and support to several local groups and open the doors of Huskie Health to individuals in the community.

As the 2024 Paris Games begin, the support from the IST is immeasurable, having provided athletes with the foundation to reach their full potential.