Just days before the opening ceremony of London 2012, Melbourne physio Greg Varigos headed to the UK capital, not to join the Aussie Olympic hopefuls, but the athletes that hail from the balmy island of Grenada in the Caribbean.
Born and bred in Camberwell, Greg’s connection to Grenadian sport is down to his father Dennis, a much-loved and respected figure in Melbourne’s Greek community who many will remember as a pharmacist in Collins Street and later Richmond.
Greg first teamed up with the Grenadians after meeting the West Indian cricket team in the 1980s when the then all-conquering ‘windies’ visited Melbourne.
“In those days my father was West Indies’ honorary chemist when they were here. I was introduced and became friends with the team.”
With medicine being a vital part of the Varigos family story, and being a keen athlete himself, Greg was drawn to the combination of sport and medical therapy as a profession.
As a physio based around the corner from the MCG, he was taken on by the West Indies to heal their aches and pains.
“My work with the cricketers finished in the mid-1990s, and the Caribbean connection wasn’t re-ignited until the Commonwealth Games in 2006 where I was asked to look after Grenada’s team.”
Sadly, Greg’s father Dennis passed away recently at the grand old age of 93 and subsequently Greg had to delay his departure to London.
“700 people attended his funeral,” says Greg. “It was a testament to the man.”
After stepping off the plane in London, Greg will be setting up his temporary clinic in the Olympic village before taking part in the opening ceremony. Then it’s a case of helping each athlete under his care prepare for their moment in history.
In addition to the Grenadian track and field athletes, Greg will be working with a number of individual competitors from other Caribbean countries. With 6am starts each day and often going through to midnight and beyond, Greg will have his work cut out.
“As soon as I get there I’ll be doing one-on-one check-ups, ironing out any niggles that they’ve got and getting them ready for match day competition. Then it’ll be a case of working with them post-event, doing ice massages and helping them through any drug testing that might be needed.”
This will be Greg’s third Olympics as Grenada’s physio and hopes are high that it will be London where Grenada will win its first ever Olympic gold medal.
“Watch out for a 19-year-old sprinter called Kirani James in the 400m sprint,” says Greg with more than a hint of excitement.
“He’s the world champion at the moment and has a really good chance of beating the reigning Olympic champion – LaShawn Merritt from the United States.
“The Caribbean is well known for its sprinters. They say more than one lap is enough!”