By GARY LEMKE in Accra
They’re the heartbeat of some of South Africa’s finest athletes, the ultimate double act that combines to oversee a medical dream team.
Dr Gavin Shang is chief medical officer for Team SA at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana. He is bringing his experience and leadership qualities to an environment where the athlete comes first. As these Games spring into life in a few days – they officially run from 8-23rd March – he will be in charge of five skilled doctors, monitoring more than 200 athletes across 18 different sporting codes.
Ashleigh Hansen is the chief physio, and she has 14 other physios working with her. There are also two sports psychologists, making it a total of 23 professionals looking after the Team SA athletes.
The camaraderie and spirit is evident for all to see, and hear. Each morning at 5am, Dr Shang and Hansen tip-toe out of the building. It started as a pair but has now grown to a medical team of road warriors. Their other three early birds are Drs Kerry-Ann Walton, Mignon Ras and Chanel Dewar. Next week it will become a group of five when Dr Zondi Phato joins up with Team SA.
They all have a coffee at 5am and hit the road at 5.30. And away they go.
This their second Team SA assignment together for Dr Shang and Hansen. Tokyo 2020 was their first, although previously both have been involved on different assignments.
As chief medical officer (CMO), Dr Shang heads up a team that has six doctors and two sports psychologists. Hansen is one of 15 physiotherapists attending to over 200 athletes spread across 18 sporting codes.
Their working environment is the same as athletes and officials. Their offices are rooms in the University of Ghana, and the entire Team SA squad of athletes, officials, medical and general management is on the ground floor. As we speak, Dr Shang is sitting on a bed and Hansen is on a plinth. Badminton player Johanita Scholtz has joined to be the “prop” for the photoshoot.
Dr Shang, who is a senior partner in a consultant practice in Johannesburg, but who has travelled widely with SA Hockey in his 15 years with them, typically hits the nail on the head in terms of discussing life, and work, on tour.
“Being away from home for long periods is the hardest part of it. Here, you can’t switch off at 7 or 8pm and go home grumpy. You’re away from loved ones and friends, your normal routing is disrupted. We try to keep things as light and as positive as possible.
“The medical team has a roster and we’re always on call. There’s a doctor available 24/7 and the shifts in the clinic are 12 hours. A doctor sleeps in the medical room in case there’s a middle-of-the-night emergency.
“I think we need to be realistic and accept that off the field of play at these African Games, we’re in conditions that the majority of Team SA haven’t experienced. Before we travel, I, along with the medical team, do our research. Where are we going? What are our biggest concerns? Here it’s yellow fever, but we’re all vaccinated. We’re in peak malaria season, there’s high heat and humidity. People dehydrate quickly, sanitising is vitally important. We’ve already had gastro cases and anything can happen. We wear masks if required.”
Hansen, who has two practices in Cape Town, chips in, “we’re not dealing with issues like that!” And she laughs.
Laughing and putting on a happy face is exactly what comes with the territory. “In my line of work, as I’m sure is the case with Gavin, we have to do that. You open the door to let a patient out and another one steps in. It’s quite a mental challenge, doing that all day. There’s no time to sit behind a computer, feel sorry for yourself even if you’re not 100%.
“Here it’s a different challenge in that you have to learn to co-exist. We start earlier and finish later and we room share and, as Gavin said, we’re out of our comfort zones.”
For Dr Shang these Games hold a special place in his heart. “My cousin is on the karate team here and it will be the first time I’ll be seeing him live.”
And that first time was a life memory. Bradley Ho-Tong was part of the men’s team kata which won a bronze medal, and Dr Shang was on duty at the venue when it happened.
Now it’s up to Mignon to give us a medal,” he says. “She has her brother (Jacques van Tonder) representing Team SA in the men’s hockey. So, it’s double delight for us.”
“At the hockey Afcon last year Mignon was there watching Jacques play and one of our players went down from a short corner. Immediately she went to attend to him as I was on the other side of the pitch. But we had chatted about such scenarios before. That’s an example of how we work together.”
All for one, one for all. That’s what keeps the medical team one step ahead.
Photo by Roger Sedres in Accra