He will manage a multi-discipline health care team and oversee the health care services that will be provided to the entire Canadian team.
“I look forward to assembling a medical sport staff that will do everything possible to ensure that the athletes’ only concern is their own performance,” said Dr. Davidson. “Canada is world-renowned for the quality of its sports medicine specialists, and I hope that selecting a medical team from many talented applicants will be the most difficult task I face.”
His ties to British Columbia date much further than his arrival in Kamloops from Atlantic Canada in 2008. He started his sports medicine career as an athletic trainer through Sport Med BC’s “Sports Aider” program in the 1980s and was a graduate student at the UBC Sports Medicine Clinic (now the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Center) working as an athletic therapist for UBC sports teams.
He has three degrees from UBC: Bachelor of Physical Education, Master of Physical Education and Doctor of Medicine.
Dr. Davidson was a member of the core medical team at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and was Chief Medical Officer at the 2007 ParaPanAmerican Games in Brazil.
“Canada’s elite athletes with disabilities are truly some of the most interesting, talented and charismatic people I have ever met, and I look forward to more Canadians getting the opportunity in 2010 to recognize and appreciate the amazing individuals representing Canada in Paralympic sport,” he said. “I also look forward to working with the Canadian Paralympic Committee again. They are an organization that I am happy and honoured to be involved with.”
Dr. Davidson was also a physician on the core medical team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and at several Canada Games, along with working with the women’s junior and men’s junior and senior national field hockey teams, the national rugby team, and with the sports of gymnastics, figure skating and marathon running. He is also a board member of the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine.
Dr. Davidson joins other Mission Staff members, including Chief de Mission Blair McIntosh and Assistant Chef de Mission Gaetan Tardif, along with CPC staff on a site visit of the sporting facilities for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games this week.
The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games run March 12-21, 2010.
