In the previous blog post, you heard about the role of a Doping Control Officer (DCO), the manager of the testing process. In this post, we hear from the person responsible for staying with the athlete from start to finish to protect the integrity of the sample. Meet Sahil Patel, anti-doping chaperone.
Sahil Patel, Chaperone
In this post, we hear from the person responsible for staying with the athlete from start to finish to protect the integrity of the sample. Meet Sahil Patel, anti-doping chaperone.
My name is Sahil and I work as a Chaperone in the Sample Collection Personnel team. I am a regular gym goer and have a big passion for the outdoors. I regularly go on hikes and runs. I recently took part in the Auckland Marathon and have done a lot of hiking around the country.
The role I do supports the integrity of the doping control process. We are the ones who make sure that the samples we collect come from the athlete and aren’t interfered with. Once an athlete has been notified (told that they’ve been selected for testing), we chaperone them at all times until their test is complete.
Every day is different, which is something I like about the role. Whether we’re testing in-competition or out-of-competition determines what the day looks like. An out-of-competition test means that we turn up with the doping control officer and locate the athlete at a training venue or their place of residence. For in-competition events, we usually will turn up before an event and watch the athlete compete before notifying them at the end of their event.
One of the big challenges is dealing with the inconvenience testing can cause in the day to day lives of athletes. This particularly applies to out-of-competition testing. We show up at an unannounced time, which can interfere with an athlete’s plans. Sometimes that can leave them frustrated or disappointed with the testing experience. In New Zealand, we are fortunate that most athletes understand the reason for testing and are supportive of the anti-doping process.
I’ve been in this role for the last 6 years. I’ve stayed because of my love and enjoyment for sport. I feel privileged to be playing a part in the anti-doping process.
