Sports
Dr. Darrell Menard, Canada’s Olympic 2012 team physician
C ANDICE V ETTER candice.vetter@eap.on.ca
He was part of the Paralympic Games in 1980 as a coach and guide runner. Twice before he was shortlisted as a physician for the Olympics, but not chosen, and he was pleasantly surprised to be selected this time. His role as core physician includes caring for Canadian athletes and athletes whose national teams do not bring a team doctor. He expects to work very long hours,
you enjoy? Generally he advises older patients to engage in exercise with less impact such as swimming, spinning, core exercises, and hot yoga, which he recommends. For machines, he suggests ellipticals and treadmills which reduce body weight. He also advises just walking. “If you could get everyone to walk 45 minutes a day it would have a greater impact on the health care budget than any other strategy. It can be done at any level from Olympic level to gentle dog walking.” He also approves of dance as an activity. “Like walking, dance can go from high performance such as ballroom dancing to line dancing for fun. Lots of my patients say dancing is life. It’s good socially and great exercise.” Besides running the practice, Menard and his wife Janet teach physical examination skills at University of Ottawa, Queens University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Their children are grown, with one finishing his family medicine residency, one a police officer in the RCMP, and one a local teacher. Menard was born in Edmonton and transferred to Ottawa in 1992. The couple went house-hunting, had lunch at George’s Restaurant and fell in love with Russell. “We looked at each other and said, ‘this feels like home.’ We haven’t changed our minds. We feel blessed.”
RUSSELL | Russell resident and sports medicine doctor, Darrell Menard, has been chosen as one of the core physicians who will attend Team Canada at the Olympic Games in London this summer. A competitive athlete since the age of 15, Dr. Menard joined the Canadian Forces and
sleep very little, and have no time for sightseeing. It makes scheduling for his Russell practice a challenge so he keeps the trip as short as possible, not wanting to leave his patients without care. Until four years
took his first degree in Physical Education in the 1970s. He earned his Masters in 1980, did medical school prerequisites for four more years, attended medical school for five more years, and was finally certified in 1994—a journey of 22 years. This was while
“If you could get everyone to walk 45 minutes a day it would have a greater impact on the health care budget than any other strategy.” - Dr Darrell Menard
ago he ran competitively, but switched to race walking. “My legs are getting older. This is low-impact, but it is no easier for cardiovascular exercise.” He also competes in track. “Movement is life. If you stop moving you go downhill very quickly. Learn as you age. Reinvent yourself. You can’t do what you did at age 17, but the fact that your body needs to be used does not change.” When he treats his aged patients he asks them, what can you do and what do
working in the military and raising a family with his wife, Janet, a nurse-practitioner. Together they have a clinic in Russell, and Dr. Menard has frequently been asked to serve as a team doctor for athletic events, including 20 years with Russell’s Jr. C hockey team. He worked in the military’s international sports program, covered the Canada Games, World Track and Field, Francophonie Games, Canadian Winter Games, Women’s U-17 Worlds, and Commonwealth Youth Games, among others.
Submitted Photo Sports Medicine physician, Dr. Darrell Menard, is shown competing in the Nordion 5K run.
Saison exceptionnelle
26 mai
Photo utilisation autorisée Malgré un effectif de joueurs réduit , les Aigles PeeWee PGL de St. Isidore ont terminé leur saison au sommet de leur division en plus de triompher en finale des séries éliminatoires. De plus, l’équipe a remporté, pour une deuxième année consécutive, le tournoi national pee-wee de Cap-de-la-Madeleine tenu en début février. L’équipe l’a emporté dans la finale A 5-0 face aux Gouverneurs de Ste-Foy Sillery. L’équipe de St. Isidore est composée de : William Jean-Louis, Vincent Jean- Louis, Jean-Sebastien Houle, Patrick Patenaude, Henri Patenaude, Mathias Prud Homme, Alec Maisonneuve, Patrick Ranger, Kevin Cadieux et Francis Laviolette.
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