Summer 2008 brought the culmination of a long-time dream for Form Physiotherapy Co-Owner Nadine Plotnikoff. Due to her long-standing involvement with our National Wrestling Teams, she had the privilege of participating in the Beijing Olympics as their physiotherapist and a member of Team Canada's Health Care Team. Here is her story:

The Games were a magical time. And so easy, it seemed. As any who watched on TV already knows, the village and venues were impressive. Almost every detail really seemed to have been anticipated and planned for by our Chinese hosts.

Our Canadian Health Care Team was a great mix of "newbies" and veterans and was a cohesive and fun bunch. I think we did our best for our athletes and we fulfilled the important Canadian tradition of hosting the Games-end medical party, attended by medical colleagues from several other Olympic delegations.

The Olympics were my fourth trip to China in the twelve months prior to the Olympics. I continued to find Beijing a fascinating combination of familiar (Starbucks) and different.

I have been part of the Wrestling Canada community since 2001, traveling regularly with their National Teams to international tournaments. When the time came to plan for Beijing, my name was put forward to the Canadian Olympic Committee by the wrestling team for consideration to Canada's Health Care Team. It was an exciting day for me last February, when I received the official phone call inviting me onto the Health Care Team, with my assignment to be, of course, wrestling.

For this Olympics, Canada qualified wrestlers in all 4 womens' and 5 of the 7 mens' weight classes. Given that only 16 female and 20 male wrestlers qualify to compete in each weight class at the Olympics, qualifying that number of Canadian wrestlers truly was an impressive achievement in itself. This was a classy, hard-working group of Canadian athletes who represented our country well.

The Olympic Games are a culmination of many years of commitment and passion for these athletes, coaches, their families and communities. So much preparation and dreaming for a very small window of time. At an Olympics, the highs are incredibly high and the lows painfully low. I really respect each of our athletes for putting themselves out onto the world stage for all of us to see as they face the most important event of their careers. So few get to be Olympic champions, yet most still handle themselves with gratitude and humility.

I'm sure it's no surprise, then, that my personal Games highlight was the thrilling performance of our Canadian womens' wrestling team. They have always been such successful athletes and wonderful people, yet have flown somewhat "under the radar" of more known and traditional sports. Over the years, we have shared many goals, laughs and articles of clothing, as MY luggage is often lost by Air Canada on our trips.

Truthfully, the thrill of watching my friends become Olympic gold and bronze medallists, 30 minutes apart on their competition day, is difficult to give adequate description to. The competition was so exciting, heightened by the fact that our ladies helped lead Canada out of our "drought". But for me, the most impacting part of that competition was seeing the desire and belief in themselves that those athletes demonstrated on the wrestling mat that evening. Suffice to say, I think that day will always be a highlight in my life!

An unexpected highlight of the Games for me was participating in the Closing Ceremonies, crazy uniform and all. We were actually one of the best-dressed countries that evening! Really, we were! Exactly as it looks on TV, it is a special and powerful feeling of the world coming together at the Closing Ceremonies. To me, it felt like a celebration of all the journeys that brought each of us to Beijing.

The enthusiasm of the Chinese volunteers for us, even after 16 long days, was touching. Many were still saying, in their broken English, "Welcome to Beijing"! After the Ceremonies ended, they formed a long, long human tunnel of smiles, clapping and "thank you's" through which we exited the stadium out to the waiting buses. I lingered as long as I could - it was difficult for me to leave that moment in time behind.

As Team Canada assembled itself prior to the Closing Ceremony, Marnie McBean had reminded us all that, regardless of result or role, we had all been part of an event that had brought a lot of inspiration and enjoyment to so many around the world. A fitting end to a very special time!