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He’s worked with many athletes and no matter what the sport or season, Simon Fraser University sport psychologist Dr. David Cox says success is not all about winning.

“Success happens when individuals and teams do their best under the circumstances they find themselves to be in.,” says Cox, who works with Canada’s snowboard team and other Olympic hopefuls and is gearing up for his third Winter Olympic games in this decade.

“It’s about performing to the best of their ability. If they accomplish that they should have no regrets, no matter what the outcome. They need to focus on the process and let the outcome take care of itself."

Cox will be in the athlete’s village as an official member of the Olympic mission staff. He’ll continue throughout the games to lend his expertise to Canada’s competitors, particularly the snowboarders, whom he describes as being “among the most passionate athletes I’ve ever worked with.”

“These are highly skilled athletes who are doing this because they truly love their sport,” says Cox, “I see it in them. It is for ‘the love of the game’.”

Cox has traveled with the team to training sites to provide feedback on mental preparedness. He was recently in Quebec City for the official Olympic team announcement and will join the team for the final leg of training.

He is one of several experts, including physicians, physiotherapists, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, strength and conditioning specialists, who are part of the 2010 Olympics’ Own the Podium ‘Integrated Service Team’ (IST) for snowboarding.

Their task is to coordinate the sport science effort to ensure the team is preparing in the best possible ways.

Cox attended the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and the 2006 games in Turin, Italy, where he worked with Canada’s curlers and cross-country skiers. He has worked with elite and Olympic athletes in many other sports, including basketball, wrestling and tennis.

Cox may be an Olympic veteran but he’s excited at the thought of working with Olympic athletes competing in their own backyard.

“There’s a special feeling to these games to be sure, you can’t avoid it. I was in the athlete village this past weekend and there is a positive atmosphere and a sense that it is time to 'let the games begin'.”

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