What's
new
Stuff
we've added recently
Sports
index
Pick your favourite
Features
A
good read
My story
The
people you meet
Employment
Get
a job
New products
Gadgets
and gear
Archives &
downloads
Try our library
Coming
events
Get out there!
Links
Clubs & contacts
The
trade
Where to buy stuff
Fitness
& health
Editorial
About us
Letters
Weather
Streetmap Our
other mags
Main
Guidomedia index
Guidomedia
AllFlying |
All in a
day's work
The life & times
of a sports scientist…
 Giaan
Rooney, Michael Klim and Brooke Hanson all know her name. Matt Welsh, Jana
Pittman and Leisel Jones all ask her for advice. For Danielle Stefano, rubbing
shoulders with Australia's top athletes is all in a day's work.
A 21-year-old student, Stefano dreamed of this moment from a young age.
"I have always loved sport. I remember watching the Olympic games when I
was little and thinking that one day I would be a part of that," she said.
"I suppose it doesn't matter that when I was six I thought I'd end up
playing basketball for Australia," she admits with a laugh. "I still
knew that sport was my passion."
While Danielle's basketball career didn't quite go to plan she said her job, as
a sport scientist at the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) is the next best
thing.
"I didn't even know what sports science was to begin with. When I left
school I was determined to be a physiotherapist. But when I realised that most
physio's massaged old people with arthritis all day I started to think that
maybe that wasn't for me."
From there Danielle went career searching and and was drawn to sports science.
Danielle says, "Sport science is a lot of things. There's the clinical
aspect, which includes medicines, physical therapies, performance psychology and
strength and conditioning. And then there is the science aspect, which involves
nutrition, biomechanics, physiology, performance analysis and recovery."
At the end of 2002, Danielle enrolled in Human Movement at RMIT University,
which gave her a solid background in sports science and helped her to secure a
very lucrative one-year placement at the VIS. At the VIS Danielle gained
practical experience in preparing elite athletes for competition and worked
alongside some of Australia 's leading applied sport scientists.
This placement eventually led to a job that has taken her all over Australia.
"I've been to Thredbo with the swim team, Sydney for the national
Australian championship which is the selection trials for the Australian champs.
I was the sports scientist for the Victorian under 15 and under 16 soccer sides
in Sydney "
While the trips around the country are a definite perk, Danielle says, the best
thing about the job is the feeling you get on competition day.
"On the days of the competition the sports scientists are just as nervous
as the athletes themselves. I think its because its such a group effort. But
when the athlete you've been working with wins his race the feeling is
unbelievable. It's just so rewarding to know that you've played a part in that
victory."
"Behind every great athlete is a great sports scientist," she laughs.
But for Danielle who graduates at the end of this year the question must be
asked, where to from here?
"I suppose in the short term future all my focus is on the Commonwealth
Games. It's so exciting because we have such a fantastic team and we all have
really high expectations. To be honest the games are such a big event its hard
to see past them for the time being but I suppose after that the sky's the
limit."
By Lauren Hilbert
Nov 2005
 Return
to top
| We
cover...
Athletics
Basketball
Cricket
Football
Golf
Motorsport
Netball
Swim
Tennis
& much more!
See Sports index
|
