By Owen Kitzan – Sports Editor

Kelsey Arseneault is an athletic therapist at Bishop’s who worked during the Jeux du Québec in March. In an interview with The Campus, Arseneault shared insights about the world of athletic therapy. The thirty-year-old hails from Châteauguay, Quebec, and completed her studies to become an athletic therapist at Concordia University. She has been certified as an athletic therapist since July 2018.

When asked what made her want to become an athletic therapist, she gave an answer that could resonate with many athletes. She had played sports her whole life through high school, but in Grade 11, she tore her meniscus and ACL “ironically while trying not to get hurt.” Because of this injury, Kelsey was sidelined from sports in her final year of high school.

“The injury gave me a chance to get a glimpse into what the rehab side of things looked like right before starting Cegep and the rest of my studies. So in some ways, it was perfect timing.” Being away from sports as well as recovering from an injury made Kelsey realize that she wanted to be around sports for the rest of her life. It felt like something was almost missing from her life when she wasn’t around them.

Kelsey then spoke about her recent experiences at the Jeux du Québec, hosted in Sherbrooke this year. Bishop’s hosted a couple of events, including wheelchair basketball, judo and cross country skiing at the Old Lennoxville Golf Club. It is immediately apparent that she loves being around sports and feeding off the energy of the audience. When asked about her favorite part of the games, she said it was the crowds, who reminded her of her own sport experiences. Oftentimes, days were twelve to thirteen hours long during the Jeux de Québec. It is no easy task being on your feet for that long, so being able to gain that energy boost from your surroundings certainly helps.

When asked what she learned from the athletes at the event, she said with an event of that scale and nature and spectators who can get wrapped up in competition, “it was important to remind yourself that they’re just kids”. “Having fun and their well-being and safety are more important”, she stated. She recalls a repeated motto at the games for parents and kids alike: “It’s not the Olympics”. The phrase spoke to the fact that the games aren’t serious enough to risk a severe injury despite what your emotions and competitive nature may instinctively tell you. 

As for stress, Kelsey’s job can come with a load of it at times. She explained there were a couple of stressful moments related and unrelated to injuries throughout the games. However, as an athletic therapist, your job is to not show your stress and to help keep the situation calm, as “people will be looking at you to be that person.” 

“You’re like a duck on water. On the surface, you look calm, but when you dive under, you’re paddling like crazy”, she said. 

You can’t allow yourself to play too much into the emotions of the crowd or people around you and must remain objective to the situation at hand, Kelsey noted.

Kelsey’s reflections on her past and the Jeux du Québec gave a glimpse into the crucial roles athletic therapists play in sports. Her career path exemplifies how students can follow a passion for sports without remaining an athlete.