Surrey health professional has finger on London 2012 pulse
Thursday 26 July 2012
The University of Surrey’s health care expertise is to be represented on the London 2012 Medical Team.
Following a gruelling round of interviews and tests, Joan Juniper, Director of Studies for Clinical Practice in the University's School of Health and Social Care, has been told she has made the team.
Her duties will include providing nursing care to athletes, workforce, press and broadcast, marketing partners and members of the public in the Aquatics Centre.
She is one of 70 000 London 2012 Games Makers, volunteers drawn from across the country who have been selected to be the face of London 2012 and to help make the Games happen.
It was just over 18 months ago that Joan joined over 240 000 Games Maker hopefuls when she sent her application form in to the London 2012 Games Makers website.
She passed an initial interview with flying colours and was selected to take part in two test events as part of the London Prepares series, the equestrian event at Greenwich Park and closer to home, the road cycling event at Box Hill, near Dorking.
The test events are LOCOG’s opportunity to test their procedures, plans and service as a whole using their Games time equipment to treat genuine casualties, filling in the appropriate paperwork afterwards and working with the international sporting federations.
‘Working with different specialisms from sports medicine doctors and first aiders to physiotherapists and sports massage practitioners, the test events proved a real challenge of our ability to work as a team in a pressured and unpredictable environment,’ says Joan.
Each test presented its own special challenges. In the case of the equestrian event, the test team was working with everyone from riders through to door staff. Meanwhile, the cycle race required staff to work in confined spaces in a conservation area at Box Hill.
Joan was notified in December of her success. She has since attended an induction day hosted by Olympic gold-medal winning Jonathan Edwards and comedian and actor Eddie Izzard.
‘I was thrilled to be selected as a Games Maker,’ says Joan. ‘Besides the opportunity to represent the University in delivering top quality health care at the world’s premier sporting event, I hope to inspire current and future Surrey health care students and professionals to take part in similar events in the future.’
Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk