Being selected to represent your country and work with the top athletes, at the top events, is a great honour for the Sport Massage Therapist selected.  Getting there requires many hours of dedicated time and training.  But those listed below are not the only ones that help athletes along the way.  There are many unsung heroes who put in time at smaller events and other training massage therapy treatments that never go to the top events.  There are many who choose to work with the developing athlete and then let others take them the final step of the way.  All have a role to play in the health and success of an athlete.  All are important and valuable.

Those therapists listed below have had the honour of going to the top events.  You can see that over the years Sport Massage Therapy use grew to become a sought after modality in the athletes competition regime.  From just a few therapists to treat all the athletes, to a whole team of therapists with some sports bringing their own dedicated therapists.  

The Sponsored Sport Massage Therapist is one who has all expenses paid in going to the games.  These games often will have many volunteer Sport Massage Therapist's who are local to the area.  The Sport Massage Therapists at these games are often involved in many different roles.  

As time has gone on, the roles of the medical personnel at large events has become more specialized.  The Sport Massage Therapist has, in recent times, been divided into 3 different roles at large events. 

Core:  The Sport Massage Therapist working in core is working with all Canadian athletes at that event.

Sport:  The Sport Massage Therapist working in sport is working for a specific sport, such as swimming.  They will specialize and work with only Canadian athletes from that sport at that event.

Host:  The Sport Massage Therapist working in host will work with all athletes from all countries.  In larger events, the host country will provide medical personnel to bridge the gap for other countries and for countries that cannot afford to send their own personnel.  This role is only fulfilled with Canadian Sport Massage Therapists in a Canadian hosted event.

The CSMTA’s focus is to prepare therapists to work with Canada’s elite athletes in conjunction with the requirements set by the Canadian Olympic Committee which maintains Certified Sport Massage Therapists as Sport Fellows through the CSMTA in recognition as an Expert group. This allows CSMTA therapists representation on Health Care Teams selected for Major Games and Events.  As a result you will only see those nominated and selected for Core and those chosen by National Sport Organizations to represent their sport in Sport roles below.