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.
Her Olympic journey was built on decades of trust, relationship building and saying yes to every opportunity.
Graduating from Sheridan College in 2002, her career has ranged from clinical practice to high-performance sport. From working with Hockey Canada’s Women’s National Team to Gymnastics Canada's trampoline athletes, her path has always brought athletic therapy care to elite competition.
Most recently, that path led her to the Olympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026, where she supported the Canadian ice dance duo, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. While this marked her first Olympic Games with the pair, their story began long before stepping onto the plane headed to Italy.
A referral through a strength and conditioning coach from Hockey Canada led to a professional relationship that has now spanned more than fifteen years. “Paul’s family was living close to my clinic at the time, so he was referred to me,” Stefanie explained. With a shared background in figure skating at the same club and overlapping coaching circles, their connection felt natural. Not long after, Paul returned with a new partner. “He said to me I have a new dance partner now. I am going to bring her to you,” Stefanie said, “And the rest is sort of history.”
Since then, Stefanie has supported the duo through national and world championships, and now the Olympic Games. Over the years, she has seen them through life and athletic milestones, and what began as a clinical relationship has evolved into something far more meaningful.
At the Olympic level, no athlete performs alone. Behind the scenes stands a skilled network of experts, the Integrated Support Team (IST), who work collaboratively to ensure athletes are equipped to perform at their best. The IST includes team doctors, therapists, strength and conditioning coaches and performance specialists. While each brings a unique expertise, it's how they work together that matters most.
Athletes, Stefanie said, “surround themselves with a team that will support them, but also work as a team.” Her role within that system is both specific and integrative. “As a Certified AT, our skill enables us to act as a glue between a lot of those components,” she explained. From communicating with strength coaches on fatigue levels to adjusting recovery plans in real time, her work is fluid between disciplines, ensuring care is both effective but cohesive. Her experience leading high-performance teams adds another layer to that skill, “I was the lead IST in trampoline for a number of years, and part of that is just really understanding what all of those roles are, really connecting those roles,” she adds.
Just like the athletes are not alone, an Olympics performance is more than a fleeting moment on the ice. Behind those precious minutes in the spotlight are entire days and often years of preparation. “There isn't a week that goes by where people don’t ask what it's like,” Stefanie shared, “But I don’t think they understand the scope of what the day looks like.”
In the 2026 Olympic competition, Piper and Paul might wake as early as 3:00 AM. Stefanie herself was up at 4:00 AM to prepare for a 6:25 AM practice. Practice is anything but casual, with athletes often going in full costume and makeup, Stefanie explained. “There’s often judges around, and so they’re very aware that their judging starts prior to their competition time slot.”
And the margin for error is as thin as a skate blade. “There’s a difference between a team environment and what would be generally considered an individual sport, like ice dancing,” Stefanie said. In team sports, there is space to recover. “You can have a bad shift in hockey, and you can lean on your teammates or make up for it,” she explained, but in performance-based sports, everything comes down to a single moment.
A lifetime of work boils down to a seven-minute window. When you add in the reality of being judged, that pressure intensifies. It’s within this environment that Stefanie's role becomes more than physical care. “You really have to be rock solid for them,” she said, “When you get to spend so much time with people in intimate settings… where they really show their vulnerabilities… it’s a huge responsibility.”
This approach extends beyond Olympians to everyday athletes. Stefanie treats all athletes and patients with the same respect for their goals, understanding that each person has their own ‘Olympics.’ “Even my patients—the half marathon you want to run this spring or being able to play with your grandchild without pain —that’s your Olympics. So we really have to respect people’s goals and where they are at,” she said.
“People constantly say, ‘what an experience’, " Stefanie shared, “I was able to go to the Tokyo Games with a trampoline… I’ve worked with Olympic gold medalists… and worked many years with the Women’s National Hockey Team… So yeah, I am so lucky.”
Athletic therapy, to Stefanie, has been the “vehicle that has allowed me to give a lot to a lot of people, because of that, it has given me everything.”
Piper and Paul finished with a bronze medal at the Olympic Games 2026, marking a pinnacle in their careers. But Stefanie reflects on the bigger lesson behind medals, recalling a story from Hayley Wickenheiser: “Wally Kozak, one of the coaches, put a note in her locker, and it said, ‘A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without one, you would never be enough with one.’ That really resonated with me and I share perspectives like that to always remind everybody it’s about you and your journey, and you are enough.”
Stefanie encourages aspiring Certified Athletic Therapists with sights on the Olympic stage to continue volunteering, making connections and gaining experience. “You have to think of what the value is that you’re getting for the time that you’re putting in… value is not all monetary.”
“You don’t know where your next break is going to come,” she went on. For those stepping behind the curtain of the world’s biggest stage, it’s a reminder that every moment spent learning, supporting, and building relationships is part of the journey.
Curious what it’s like to receive care at the level trusted by Olympic athletes? Find a Certified Athletic Therapist near you and schedule an appointment for expert support.
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Her Olympic journey was built on decades of trust, relationship building and saying yes to every opportunity.
Graduating from Sheridan College in 2002, her career has ranged from clinical practice to high-performance sport. From working with Hockey Canada’s Women’s National Team to Gymnastics Canada's trampoline athletes, her path has always brought athletic therapy care to elite competition.
Most recently, that path led her to the Olympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026, where she supported the Canadian ice dance duo, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. While this marked her first Olympic Games with the pair, their story began long before stepping onto the plane headed to Italy.
A referral through a strength and conditioning coach from Hockey Canada led to a professional relationship that has now spanned more than fifteen years. “Paul’s family was living close to my clinic at the time, so he was referred to me,” Stefanie explained. With a shared background in figure skating at the same club and overlapping coaching circles, their connection felt natural. Not long after, Paul returned with a new partner. “He said to me I have a new dance partner now. I am going to bring her to you,” Stefanie said, “And the rest is sort of history.”
Since then, Stefanie has supported the duo through national and world championships, and now the Olympic Games. Over the years, she has seen them through life and athletic milestones, and what began as a clinical relationship has evolved into something far more meaningful.
At the Olympic level, no athlete performs alone. Behind the scenes stands a skilled network of experts, the Integrated Support Team (IST), who work collaboratively to ensure athletes are equipped to perform at their best. The IST includes team doctors, therapists, strength and conditioning coaches and performance specialists. While each brings a unique expertise, it's how they work together that matters most.
Athletes, Stefanie said, “surround themselves with a team that will support them, but also work as a team.” Her role within that system is both specific and integrative. “As a Certified AT, our skill enables us to act as a glue between a lot of those components,” she explained. From communicating with strength coaches on fatigue levels to adjusting recovery plans in real time, her work is fluid between disciplines, ensuring care is both effective but cohesive. Her experience leading high-performance teams adds another layer to that skill, “I was the lead IST in trampoline for a number of years, and part of that is just really understanding what all of those roles are, really connecting those roles,” she adds.
Just like the athletes are not alone, an Olympics performance is more than a fleeting moment on the ice. Behind those precious minutes in the spotlight are entire days and often years of preparation. “There isn't a week that goes by where people don’t ask what it's like,” Stefanie shared, “But I don’t think they understand the scope of what the day looks like.”
In the 2026 Olympic competition, Piper and Paul might wake as early as 3:00 AM. Stefanie herself was up at 4:00 AM to prepare for a 6:25 AM practice. Practice is anything but casual, with athletes often going in full costume and makeup, Stefanie explained. “There’s often judges around, and so they’re very aware that their judging starts prior to their competition time slot.”
And the margin for error is as thin as a skate blade. “There’s a difference between a team environment and what would be generally considered an individual sport, like ice dancing,” Stefanie said. In team sports, there is space to recover. “You can have a bad shift in hockey, and you can lean on your teammates or make up for it,” she explained, but in performance-based sports, everything comes down to a single moment.
A lifetime of work boils down to a seven-minute window. When you add in the reality of being judged, that pressure intensifies. It’s within this environment that Stefanie's role becomes more than physical care. “You really have to be rock solid for them,” she said, “When you get to spend so much time with people in intimate settings… where they really show their vulnerabilities… it’s a huge responsibility.”
This approach extends beyond Olympians to everyday athletes. Stefanie treats all athletes and patients with the same respect for their goals, understanding that each person has their own ‘Olympics.’ “Even my patients—the half marathon you want to run this spring or being able to play with your grandchild without pain —that’s your Olympics. So we really have to respect people’s goals and where they are at,” she said.
“People constantly say, ‘what an experience’, " Stefanie shared, “I was able to go to the Tokyo Games with a trampoline… I’ve worked with Olympic gold medalists… and worked many years with the Women’s National Hockey Team… So yeah, I am so lucky.”
Athletic therapy, to Stefanie, has been the “vehicle that has allowed me to give a lot to a lot of people, because of that, it has given me everything.”
Piper and Paul finished with a bronze medal at the Olympic Games 2026, marking a pinnacle in their careers. But Stefanie reflects on the bigger lesson behind medals, recalling a story from Hayley Wickenheiser: “Wally Kozak, one of the coaches, put a note in her locker, and it said, ‘A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without one, you would never be enough with one.’ That really resonated with me and I share perspectives like that to always remind everybody it’s about you and your journey, and you are enough.”
Stefanie encourages aspiring Certified Athletic Therapists with sights on the Olympic stage to continue volunteering, making connections and gaining experience. “You have to think of what the value is that you’re getting for the time that you’re putting in… value is not all monetary.”
“You don’t know where your next break is going to come,” she went on. For those stepping behind the curtain of the world’s biggest stage, it’s a reminder that every moment spent learning, supporting, and building relationships is part of the journey.
Curious what it’s like to receive care at the level trusted by Olympic athletes? Find a Certified Athletic Therapist near you and schedule an appointment for expert support.