GHS athletes get Trinity check ahead of 2019 sports meet

Over 300 athletes at the Girls’ High School (GHS) were recently checked by faculty and staff of the Trinity School of Medicine in preparation for the 2019 sports meet.

“This is an initiative that others can emulate. Trinity School of Medicine is setting a very good example for how future physicians and practicing physicians could give back to the community,” said Athalie Caine-Soleyn, deputy headmistress of the school.

The Ministry of Education has mandated that each athlete planning to take part in a sport meet must undergo a medical check prior to participation.

The checks by Trinity took place on January 29 and 30.

Caine-Soleyn said identified athletes, students who had been involved in practice sessions and those who had the potential to act as stand-in athletes were also checked.

“As a result,” she said, “almost one half of the student population of 671 girls was seen,” she said.

The Trinity faculty and medical students took the athletes through checks for height and weight, vision and hearing, temperature, blood pressure and pulse at rest and after a period of exercise; cardiovascular and chest examinations were also completed.

Alongside these checks, the school encourages the girls to eat properly, hydrate their bodies and get adequate rest and sleep.

Caine-Soleyn agrees that the checks are necessary as they take care of preventable incidents on sports day.

The athletes participate in track and field events including distance races like the 3000 m, and 1500 m; also sprints such as the 100m, 200m, and 400m individual races and relays.

Field events include the long and high jump, the shot put and a variety of other throws.

“Trinity School of Medicine continues to provide its future physicians with early clinical experiences that offer occasions to practice skills learned or observe procedure that will positively impact their medical careers. Equally, students eagerly embrace these opportunities and make themselves available for each outreach,” a release from Trinity said.

The GHS sports meet will take place on Wednesday, February 13 at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.