Tara Murray
Wyndham Vale physio Sam Leslie has more of an invested interest in the Olympics Games than most Australians.
The owner of MyPhysio Evolution treats seven Australian Olympians at his clinic and is a co-coach to two of them.
He is in France for the Games now.
“It’s quite amazing,” he said from France.
“I set an ambitious task to get 10 athletes to the Games at the start of the year. To get seven is really good. There’s others I’ve done work with over the years. I’ve got fingerprints on 12 of them. It’s super exciting.”
Leslie has been working with top level athletes for many years and feels his skill set compliments the hard work that they are doing.
All the athletes come out to the Wyndham Vale practice, many travelling from interstate to see him.
Tori West (heptathlon), Tayleb Willis (110 metres hurdles), Chris Mitrevski (long jump), Jacob Despard (4 x 100 metre relay) and Kathryn Mitchell (javelin) will all compete in track and field, while cyclist Lauretta Hanson and beach volleyballer Tom Hodges are also his athletes.
Leslie is also the strength and conditioning coach for West and Willis which has seen him travel to the Games.
“I’ve been with Tayleb for nine years,” Leslie said. “Most of the others I’ve been with for eight years.
“With Tayleb I look after his springs and speed and develop his strength work.
“Tori I work with her on her running events and strength.”
Mitchell is competing at her fourth Olympics, while all the other athletes are at their first.
“It’s a dream for them to get to this point for every single one of them,” he said. “I’ve seen how challenging it is to get there with how good the rest of the world is, especially Olympics.”
Leslie said for his practice back in Wyndham Vale he tries to share his knowledge and experience and many of his colleagues specialise in sport and work with athletes on their journeys.
He said he hoped the community would get behind the athletes with many of them self funded.
Leslie said he was hoping to see some of his athletes medal.
