There’s a moment in every Cirque du Soleil show when the entire audience goes still.
An athlete launches into the air, bodies move in perfect sync, and for a few seconds, everything looks effortless. What the audience doesn’t see is the work before that moment: the preparation, the setbacks, and the team making sure each performer can step back on stage again and again.
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The 2026 Olympic Games have come to a close, with interested onlookers tuning in to
witness one-of-a-kind athletic performances from across the globe. For many, it offers a
brief glimpse behind the curtain into the lives of elite athletes. For Certified Athletic
Therapist Stefanie Moser, however, behind-the-scenes on the world stage is a place
she knows well—though getting there has been years in the making.
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There is a moment that often happens on the sidelines, when the game is loud, the whistles are blowing, and the crowd is making noise. Then, Certified Athletic Therapist Paz Mukikala, observes quietly, watching and waiting for her next opportunity to perform with passion.
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What made athletic therapy different from what I had experienced before was that the treatment was not rushed or generalized but personalized, precise and deeply educational. Every step was intentional, and every technique had a purpose, and I, the patient, was involved in my recovery, not just treated.
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Movement is at the heart of everything Certified Athletic Therapists (ATs) do: from helping clients move better, to teaching movement patterns, to restoring function after an injury. For Richard DeMont, PhD, Certified AT, and Director of Concordia University’s Athletic Therapy Program, this shared focus is also what connects athletic therapy to another important framework: physical literacy.
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Every June, the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association (CATA) celebrates Athletic Therapy Month – an occasion that recognizes the prominence of Athletic Therapy in the lives of Canadians, and the importance of the growth and continued success of our profession. This year, our theme is “Then, Now, Always,” a tribute to the enduring and consistent impact of Athletic Therapy care and the dedicated Certified ATs who deliver it.
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Every June, the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association (CATA) celebrates Athletic Therapy Month – an occasion that recognizes the prominence of Athletic Therapy in the lives of Canadians, and the importance of the growth and continued success of our profession. This year, our theme is “Then, Now, Always,” a tribute to the enduring and consistent impact of Athletic Therapy care and the dedicated Certified ATs who deliver it.
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It all started in 1975. A landmark year that forever changed the landscape of Athletic Therapy in Canada, the ten-year-old Canadian Athletic Therapist Association (CATA) launched the very first National Certification Exam (NCE) and officially established a national standard for becoming a Certified Athletic Therapist.
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Certified ATs across the country have been reaching out to their patients to gather testimonials that speak to the important role Athletic Therapy plays in their lives. A collection of honest and unfiltered experiences, participants shared their individual healing journeys, ones that reinforce the idea that Athletic Therapy is not just for athletes, but for anybody with a body.
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In honour of International Women’s Day, the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association proudly acknowledges the achievements, contributions and influence of women in athletic therapy and beyond. Across the country, we have continually witnessed the impact of women in this field. Their expertise, skills and insights have not only uplifted the standard of care but also shaped the future of athletic therapy.
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Amid flurries and frozen ponds, winter sports athletes and enthusiasts alike soar down slopes and shoot slapshots nationwide. For Certified Athletic Therapist (Certified AT) Fayez Abdulrahman, working within winter sports is a significant part of his career. From the mountain peaks to skating rinks, Fayez shares with us the importance of effective training in helping athletes both literally and figuratively unlock new heights.
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In recent years, the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association has been encouraging Certified Athletic Therapists to consider their mental wellness through webinars and other educational programming. In a previous blog, we explored the significance of mental wellness in managing catastrophic injuries. However, in the fast-paced and often demanding world of athletic therapy, it's crucial to also raise awareness about the issue of burnout.
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Behind every great athlete that reaches the pinnacle of sport at a Major Games, there is a dedicated team of professionals that ensure athletes are able to perform at their best. Working behind the scenes across many sports disciplines, Certified Athletic Therapists are an important part of keeping athletes healthy.
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Certified Athletic Therapist Terrill Lobo gave us an inside look into his extensive career in athletic therapy. From working with amateur and Olympic athletes to world-class performers from all over the globe, his experience is anything but limited. With a career spanning nearly 25 years, he remains dedicated to his core philosophies: emphasizing the fundamentals of movement and an unwavering commitment to continuous learning.
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Starting the journey to becoming a Certified Athletic Therapist may seem overwhelming at first. From graduating, successfully completing the NCE and finding your first job, Certified ATs are always learning. While every stage of a Certified ATs career is significant, earning your education is where it all begins. We’ve put together this guide to help you transition into your career.
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The day-to-day roles and responsibilities of a Certified Athletic Therapist are constantly adapting. The nature of the job demands quick thinking and attention to detail when providing care. When considering a sports related injury, often you think about strains, sprains, tears and breaks, but when was the last time you thought about vision?
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Certified Athletic Therapists are dedicated to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their lifestyle, can achieve and maintain their best possible health. Athletic therapy is suitable for everyone with a body, as Certified ATs are capable of treating a wide range of injuries and conditions, helping individuals from all walks of life. From anyone who’s been sidelined with an injury playing soccer to recovering from surgery, athletic therapy plays an important role in health, recovery and care.
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We spoke to Frances Flint, a Certified AT with a Ph.D. in Sports Psychology and Sports Medicine. The foundation of Frances’ career as a Certified AT was built upon the concept that mental and physical health hold equal importance in the world of sport and Athletic Therapy. “To me it's a perfect marriage, we focus on the physical, but the mental is intertwined,” she says, “they have to be joined.”
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Mentorship is a foundational part of personal and professional development, and CATA’s mentorship program serves to provide opportunities for Certification Candidates and newly Certified ATs to find matches with experienced Certified ATs to learn, develop skills, and navigate the challenges of starting a new career.
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The destination of working as a Certified Athletic Therapist is only a small portion of the journey. The student experience of practical hands-on learning, clinical placements and real-world opportunities make the path to becoming a Certified AT a captivating, meaningful experience.
The role of a Certified Athletic Therapist within a professional sports league is crucial for supporting each athlete and helping them perform at their best. Although a small number follow this career path, Certified ATs who take their position on the sidelines or behind the bench are committed to offering preventative, emergency and rehabilitative care throughout the season.
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With the new year upon us, it’s a great opportunity to set some goals to better yourselves as Certified Athletic Therapists. While many of you will have personal goals of how to achieve growth that relate to your area of work, there are a few goals that every CATA member should pursue to advance their career this year.
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Athletic therapy has grown so much over the past few years, with more Certified Athletic Therapists joining the field and public awareness surrounding the benefits of athletic therapy increasing each day. As we look back, we can see how far athletic therapy has come, begging the question of what athletic therapy will look like in the future.
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Often, physiotherapy and athletic therapy are incorrectly used as interchangeable terms amongst the public. We spoke with Charlotte Van Audenrode, who is dual credentialed as a Certified Athletic Therapist and Registered Physiotherapist, to get her insights on how the two fields are distinct.
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Every healthcare profession carries ethical obligations and responsibilities that guide conduct and ensure members act with integrity. With the ideals, standards and principles set forth by the Association in the Codes of Ethics and Professional Conduct, Certified Athletic Therapists assume the responsibility to adhere to these goals and rules to build and preserve a trustworthy relationship between a Certified AT and their client.
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When picturing an athletic therapist, most often people conjure an image of someone working on a sports field with professional or amateur athletes. While this is the reality for many Certified Athletic Therapists across Canada, many have followed passions that take them into a more niche setting with unique clientele.
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What if you could carve your own path and work in a field that you’re passionate about? For many Certified Athletic Therapists across Canada, this is their reality.
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As many Certified Athletic Therapists will tell you, finding passion in what you do isn’t difficult; they do important and rewarding work, improving the lives of Canadians every day. Some Certified ATs, however, find their passion in a niche area of the field, areas that we might not know even exist.
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Athletic therapy isn’t your typical 9-5; it’s a unique field, with Certified Athletic Therapists working in a wide variety of settings and capacities. From a neighbourhood sports medicine clinic to a community soccer game, to the Olympics, find Certified Athletic Therapists working in professional sports in Canada and internationally, recreational sports centres and youth activities, occupational health-industrial settings, the public sector, the performing arts, academic settings, athletic therapy education programs, and more.
Certified Athletic Therapists serve a wide range of clientele, from professional athletes to recreational athletes, performers, people with everyday injuries, and so much more. In areas where there is a higher military presence, such as by a military base, military personnel become clients of Certified Athletic Therapists to treat and prevent injury in their line of work and service.
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To see humans push themselves to limits you didn’t think possible, you may want to purchase a ticket to see the Cirque du Soleil. Founded in Quebec in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has become a global sensation featuring larger-than-life, jaw-dropping performances.
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When you picture Certified Athletic Therapists at work, typically it’s on the sidelines of intense team or contact sports, or maybe even in a clinic treating occupational injuries. How often do you picture them backstage at the Nutcracker?
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First hosted in 1970 by the City of Etobicoke, the Ontario Winter Games have since been held every other year and attract as many as 3,000 participants competing in over 20 sports. The event is seven days taking place over two consecutive weekends and hosts athletes aged 12-18 from all over the province.
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Many Canadians work in trades or occupations that are physically demanding and may require doing the same tasks throughout the day, often involving repetitive motion and requiring endurance and stamina. If this sounds like your line of work, you're an industrial athlete.
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2022 has been an exciting year for the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association (CATA)! We are so grateful for all our members and supporters who have made this year such a success.
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The BC Wildfire Occupational Athlete Project began a few years ago to help prevent injuries for people who worked with the BC Wildfire Service. Last year was the busiest year on record for fires, placing more of a focus on the essential workers who help deal with them.
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With the weather getting colder and summer sports coming to an end, both professional and everyday athletes are getting ready for a transition. Whether it’s moving activity indoors or the team winding down after a great season, we all need to know how to maintain our performance and physical health during rest periods.
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This month, we’re thrilled to bring an article to you by Dr. Amanda Black, Certified Athletic Therapist since 2010 and assistant research professor at the University of Calgary. She specializes in research related sport injury prevention with a focus on concussions, and with Concussion Awareness Month kicking off at the end of this month, it was a perfect time to hear from her and about her experience as a CAT(C).
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It’s easy to think of athletic therapists working with teams and sports across the country. But Certified Athletic Therapist (CAT(C)) Schad Richea thinks athletic therapy is now making strides working with anyone who is active: performing artists, people who work in law enforcement, and in a wide variety of other physically demanding professions.
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While athletic therapists work with a variety of patients, we are known for our quick-thinking in on-field emergencies involving professional and amatuer athletes. Athletic therapists play an important role on the support team for many sports — and we’re proud to be a part of the team in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
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June is Athletic Therapy Month, a special time where we celebrate our members and the wide range of support they provide their clients. Dedicated to providing elite level care for patients of all activities levels, our members’ passion is the reason behind CATA’s success.
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Ask any CATA member, and they’ll tell you athletic therapy is a rewarding and challenging career! Trained and skilled in treating injuries of both professional athletes as well as everyday active Canadians, athletic therapists bring an expert level of knowledge to their work with clients.
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The World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT) World Congress is just under a month away! This three-day event will be filled with hands-on workshops, lectures, and networking opportunities for athletic therapists, athletic trainers and allied health professionals from around the world.
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Winter is well underway! Between winter sports, daily shoveling and icy slips and falls, injuries are possible just by stepping out your door. As we are generally more sedentary during the colder months, our muscles and joints tend to be more stiff and we become more vulnerable to injury.
As Canada’s top athletes compete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, performance is key. These high-performance athletes are supported by coaches and medical teams that include physicians, RMTs, strength and conditioning coaches, mental performance consultants, physiotherapists and of course, athletic therapists!
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Student placements are an important part of becoming an Athletic Therapist, providing students with an opportunity to develop their skills and gain hands-on experience. We spoke with two students, Kia Halsall and Cheryl Waldner, to share their placement experiences and what they learned as part of their preparation to become Certified Athletic Therapists (CAT(C)).
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As we enter December and reflect on 2021, it is clear that once again we are closing off a year full of change. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic brought continued challenges while we worked to keep each other safe and adapt to the ‘next normal.’
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Athletic Therapists are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation, providing immediate care and reconditioning for all active individuals. It’s no wonder that we’re active on the professional rodeo and bull riding scene in Canada!
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As the world changed overnight from the pandemic, it ushered in a new era of remote work for millions of Canadians. As we adapted to this abrupt transition and began working at home, often hunched over laptops in awkward positions for hours, a rise in musculoskeletal injuries emerged.
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The end of September marks Concussion Awareness Week, seven days dedicated to raising awareness, starting important conversations and promoting a safer sports culture. Did you know that Athletic Therapists have extensive expertise in the injury and recovery of concussions whether the injury occurs at home, work or on the field?
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Have you ever wondered what is involved in the Athletic Therapist profession or what draws Athletic Therapists to it? We have the answers you’ve been looking for!
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This summer, sports lovers will rejoice with the return of the Olympic Games! Postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games will open on July 23 in Tokyo, Japan.
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What comes to mind when you think of an “Athletic Therapist?” It's most likely someone who works mainly with professional athletes treating their injuries. While this is definitely a key role for some Athletic Therapists, many actually work in other areas of society.
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