Mission Staff problem solve to ensure logistical support for Team Canada

Planning and support for the entire Team Canada delegation of 130 strong can be a gigantic ordeal. Tasked to lead the logistical nightmare is Assistant Chef de Mission Joe Morissette. For over a year now Joe has traveled to Harbin on a pre-games visit to ensure his comfort level of our accommodations and competition site meet expectations, he has made contacts with our hosts the Harbin Universiade Committee, to ensure logistical and technical aspects for our athletes, coaches, sport medicine staff, and mission staff well prior to the games met his expectations to ensure a smooth operation come arrival of our team next week. At home arranging a uniform sponsor (Russell) to suit the team, liasoning with team leaders and national sport organizations to ensure athlete registration, working with the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa to process passport visa applications, and of course answering the many questions that come across his desk including dress code beyond the team uniform, parent accommodation suggestions, and yes the question asked most "Can you get tickets to the sold out Opening ceremonies?" The last question mentioned for the record is probably the only item that Joe has been unable to solve, yet to be fair, he has no control of tickets. By the time we got ticket info the ceremonies were sold out.
In the CIS office our Deputy Chef Frank Boyer is an octopus, juggling multiple tasks and projects required to ensure that athlete uniforms are delivered prior to departure to the athletes, office equipment, communication devices, and office supplies are boxed crated and air freighted to Harbin in a timely and cost effective manner. Allison Tovell our Medical Clinic Manager is in charge of ensuring therapy tables, modality ultrasound equipment, tape, medical supplies, and especially Hot packs (for frigid Harbin) is packed, shipped and waiting for the mission staff to set up prior to the arrival of our athletes.
People talk about the "Olympic Effort" well these professionals are gold medalists with respect to ensuring no detail has been left out and all the support required to ensure that all athletes and coaches have the necessary support for them to compete at thier personal best is on-site. The experience all athletes will soon embark on will be in part to the meticulous planning, hard work, and dedication of those in our CIS International Office. This work often goes without notice or thanks, but without their efforts the student-athlete experience would not be what we know will soon be a lifetime of memories of Harbin!