Lifetime distinguished
achievement award Dexter Nelson, B.P.E., MSc, CAT(C) Emeritus University Transfer Physical Education, 1968
For more than thirty years, Dexter Nelson has made significant contributions as an educator and a pioneer in the field of athletic therapy. After completing his studies at Mount Royal, the University of Calgary (Bachelor of Physical Education) and Brigham Young University (Master of Science), Nelson launched his teaching career. He also began to establish athletic therapy as a recognized profession within the specialty of sport medicine. Athletic therapy focuses on injury prevention, emergency care and rehabilitative techniques for athletes at every level. A tireless advocate for the profession in Alberta and across Canada, Nelson was the first president of both the Alberta Athletic Therapists Association and the Sport Medicine Council of Alberta. In 1983, he co-founded the Canadian Pro Rodeo Association Sport Medicine Team. Nelson also initiated the Mount Royal College Sport Therapy Service, which, after moving to the University of Calgary, continues to serve the needs of Calgary’s sport community. Currently serving as vice-president of the World Federation of Athletic Training, Nelson has also been president of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA). He worked with the Canadian Core Medical Team at two Pan American Games, the 1978 Commonwealth Games, and the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. Nelson has received many prestigious awards in recognition of his work. A member of the CATA Hall of Fame, he was named CATA Member Emeritus in 2010. He is also an Honorary Member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and a Lifetime Member of the Sport Medicine Council of Alberta.
12
summit – FALL 2013