By Cameron Johnsen, for Marauders.ca
In Hamilton, the positive impact of community sport runs deep. But with all levels of competition there comes the risk of injury. Fortunately for Steeltown's finest, the community can help them to rise above this difficult consequence of sports, too.
For Steve Kalotinis, a 40-year patron of McMaster University's David Braley Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Centre, every injury presents a choice:
"Do I want to give up the sport because I don't want to have an injury again, or do I put in the time and effort to benefit from still participating?"Â Â
McMaster's world-class rehabilitation facility has provided Kalotinis, along with countless other community members, the opportunity to choose 'option two' with confidence.
Kalotinis, who will turn 70 in a few weeks, has been an avid participant in competitive sport for his entire life. The former Laurentian University varsity soccer captain also played tennis and junior hockey growing up. In 1974, he would have been drafted to play professional soccer in Greece if it were not for the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that year.Â
Nearly five decades later, he remains an active figure in the Hamilton sports community by refereeing soccer, playing hockey, and working at Glendale Golf and Country Club.
A lifetime of playing sports will take its toll on the body. Kalotinis began using the David Braley Sport Med clinic to treat bone-on-bone contact in his knees. When told by doctors that he may need a knee replacement, he sought out the help of clinic physician and sport medicine pioneer Dr. David Levy, who treated his knees and prescribed customized braces that allowed Kalotinis to take the field again, pain-free.
What blossomed was a 40-year relationship that saw Kalotinis take advantage of nearly every amenity available in the state-of-the-art facility. Aside from the on-site brace-fitting services, he made use of the hydrotherapy pool and underwater treadmill. He also received injections to combat tendon calcification in his knees, and ablation therapy – a treatment that destroys a small portion of nerve fibers, preventing chronic pain signals from being sent to the brain.
"[Dr. Levy] saw his 40,000th patient recently, and I think I took about 40% of those appointments over the years," joked Kalotinis.
But the most difficult stretch for Kalotinis came in the form of a shoulder injury which required surgery, followed by a long and grueling rehabilitation process.
"When I was first assessed," he recalled, "I couldn't even bring my elbow above my shoulder. It was so painful."
For six months following the procedure, he came into the clinic several times each week to work with a team of three physiotherapists on returning his shoulder to top working condition. It was during this time that he formed strong relationships with the staff helping him through his rehab. Sue Robinson, Colin Walsh Oczkowski, and Jillian Goodwin became, as Kalotinis affectionately nicknamed them, "soft, medium, and hard." The three physiotherapists each brought their own style and temperament to guiding Kalotinis through the rehab process, but worked collaboratively toward their common goal.
"I got to know them quite well," reminisced Kalotinis. "It was a long, hard, battle, but every week you got a little better. We were a team, and it worked!"
Half a year later, surrounded by his physiotherapists, Kalotinis triumphantly held his hands together above his head – finally able to move his shoulder normally again.
"It was a smile for everyone," he grinned. "It wasn't easy for [my physiotherapists], either – it was a battle."
The facility's services have proven invaluable for Kalotinis, as well as many other community members with both acute and chronic injuries preventing them from living an active lifestyle. From Olympic-level performers to everyday recreational athletes, the clinic provides services tailored to the individual, no matter the age or level of competition. Kalotinis attested to the diverse range of patients that he has seen over his years using the clinic: "It's not just for your model, elite-level athlete."
"I feel very lucky," said a beaming Kalotinis. "Having the McMaster facility to work with – it's a benefit that we should take advantage of in our community."
Steve Kalotinis' journey is a testament to the impact that the David Braley Sport Medicine & Rehabilitation Centre can have on community sports. The facility, which also has practitioners affiliated with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) and Toronto Rock (NLL), exists because Hamilton deserves the very best.
Don't be dissuaded by its "sports medicine" moniker – at the David Braley Sport Medicine & Rehabilitation Centre, everyone is treated like a Marauder.
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