Doug Freer
Sports Therapy
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Doug Freer moved to Barrie in 1973 to join the RVH staff as a physiotherapist. Right from the start Doug became involved in the local sports scene getting hired by the Barrie Colts Jr. “B” team as their physiotherapist to assist the head trainer. He stayed with the Jr. “B” Colts until 1980.
During this time, Doug Freer’s pedigree within his field was growing in stature, and in 1979 he became Team Therapist for Team Canada at the Pan American games. This began his impressive list of appointments on the international stage. In 1981 Doug was Chief Therapist for Team Canada at the World Student Games (WSG) in Bucharest, Romania, an appointment he received again in 1983 at the WSG held in Edmonton and again in 1987 for the WSG held in Zagreb Yugoslavia. In 1988, Doug received the call to become the Team Therapist for Team Canada at the XV Winter Olympic Games as part of the medical team. Doug would receive the call again in 1992 for the XVI Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France and the XVII Winter Olympic Games held in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994. In 1996, Doug was appointed Team Therapist for Team Canada at the Paralympics Games held in Atlanta, Georgia. At the 1998 World Blind Sports Championships in Madrid, Spain, Freer was the Chief Therapist. His involvement on the international scene continued with another appointment as Host Country Therapist at the 1999 Pan American Games, held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Doug also continued his involvement with the Canadian Paralympics Team as Team Therapist at both the 2000 Games held in Sydney, Australia and the 2004 Games held in Athens, Greece.
His most recent involvement with Team Canada came at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games held in Vancouver where he was part of the Core Medical Team. Along with his many appointments Freer was also a lecturer for the Sports Injuries Prevention and Care Program for the Ministry of Tourism and Sport 1989 to 2000.
Since he arrived in Barrie in 1973, Doug has left a lasting impact on the local Sports Medicine scene, first purchasing and operating Barrie Physiotherapy from 1978 to 1988, then owner / operator of Cedar Pointe Physiotherapy from 1988 to 1994 and presently owner-operator of D. Freer and Associates since 1994.
- Portrait painted by Gisèle Lapalme