Our therapist brings a strong background in rehabilitation medicine and sports therapy as well as over 28 years of practical musculoskeletal experience. She mentored for over eight years with Dr. David J. Magee (PhD), an international professor, author and Order of Canada honoured Physical Therapist who worked 26 years with the Edmonton Oilers. Our therapist worked alongside Dr. Magee in his clinical research lab and now, herself, services Skate Canada with the National Figure Skating Team. In this role she provided therapy to the 2018 Olympic skaters of Canada’s highest-achieving figure skating team in its history.
Meet Your Therapist
Sylvia has over 28 years of musculoskeletal experience in the fields of athletic therapy and physiotherapy. Highlights of her career include positions as: Medical and Anti-Doping Coordinator for the 2001 World Track and Field Championships, therapist at both the University of Alberta Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic and the Edmonton Cross Cancer Institute, and Clinical Associate Professor for the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Physical Therapy Department at the University of Alberta (U of A). In 2011, Sylvia was appointed the Chief Therapist of the U of A Musculoskeletal Student Clinical Learning & Research Centre serving as Head Clinical Therapist for all the varsity athletic teams while providing physiotherapy students from across Canada with clinical placement opportunities under her mentorship.
Sylvia has treated many world class athletes, Olympians and served several post-secondary, amateur and professional sports teams. She is currently a Physical Therapist with Skate Canada for the Canadian National Figure Skating Team. She travels worldwide in support of the junior, senior and synchronized teams, including the 2011 & 2019 ISU Sr World Figure Skating Championships, and the 2017 & 2022 ISU Jr World Figure Skating Championships. Sylvia was also selected as a core therapist with the 2022 Niagara Canada Summer Games.
Ms. Ciurysek holds a Master’s degree of Science in Physical Therapy [MScPT] and is a licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Therapist in Canada [CAT(C)]. She also holds a Bachelor of Physical Education degree with distinction [BPE] from the University of Alberta, specializing in Physical Activity and Sport Performance. Sylvia is certified to perform acupuncture through Acupuncture Canada, formerly the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute [CAFCI]. She is also a Sports First Responder certified by the Canadian Red Cross.
Born and raised in the Peace Country, Sylvia grew up on a farm outside the Village of Berwyn, Alberta. After returning to her hometown of Berwyn in 2014, she became a physical therapist for Alberta Health Services where she served the towns of Peace River, Manning, and Fairview, along with the surrounding communities. Sylvia was extremely active in competitive sports throughout her life including volleyball, fastball, slow-pitch, badminton, curling and sprint triathlons. She now enjoys more hiking, swimming, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, Nordic pole walking, target shooting, cycling and personal fitness.
View Sylvia’s feature articles in Move Up Magazine by VAULTmedia:
Move-Up Magazine by VAULTmedia - Issue 15, July 2017
Move-Up Magazine by VAULTmedia – Issue 25, January 2020
The following are other volunteer opportunities and work experiences that Sylvia has engaged in over the years that are worth noting:
2011 – 2023 Canadian National Figure Skating Team - Physical Therapist
ISU Jr Grand Prix 7 - Egna, Italy
ISU World Jr Figure Skating Championships - Tallinn, Estonia
ISU Sr Warsaw Cup - Warsaw, POLAND
ISU Jr Grand Prix - Ljubljana, Slovenia
ISU Sr Grand Prix Cup of China – Chongqing, China
ISU Jr Grand Prix Baltic Cup – Gdansk, Poland
ISU Jr Grand Prix Riga Cup – Riga, Latvia
ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Saitama City, Japan ISU Jr Grand Prix – Richmond, British Columbia
ISU World Jr Synchronized Skating Championships – Zagreb, Croatia Senior Challenge Nebelhorn Trophy – Oberstdorf, Germany
Skate Canada Autumn Classic International – Montreal, Quebec
ISU Jr World Figure Skating Championships – Taipei City, Chinese Taipei Finlandia Trophy – Espoo, Finland
ISU Jr Grand Prix Cup of Mordovia – Saransk, Russia
ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International – Lethbridge, Alberta US International Classic – Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
ISU Jr Grand Prix – Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
ISU Jr Grand Prix – Bratislava, Slovakia
ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Moscow, Russia
Volunteer Therapist / Athletic Trainer
2022 Canada Summer Games
2012 CIS Women’s Hockey National Championships
2008 World’s Longest Hockey Game
2006 / 2003 / 2002 Allan Cup – Senior AAA Hockey Championships 2006 World Cup Triathlon
2005 World Masters Games
2005 CIS Men’s Hockey National Championships
2003 Canada Basketball Prairies Regional Camp
2003 CIS Men’s Volleyball National Championships
2003 Football Alberta & Football Canada Cup
2002 CIS Canada West Women’s Rugby Championships
2002 CCAA National Badminton Championships
2002 Alberta Ballet & Ballet British Columbia
2002 Hockey Alberta and Alberta Winter Games
2001 Canadian National Track and Field Championships
2000 / 1999 / 1998 CCAA Men’s National Basketball Championships 1999 Labatt Brier
1999 Soccer Jr Nationals Tier 1
1997 CIAU Women’s Volleyball Nationals
Guest Speaker on Head Injury in Sport – Alberta Junior Hockey League Canadian Athletic Therapists Association Supervisory Athletic Therapist
Other Work Experience
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) - Instructor on Injury Management Grant MacEwan Community College (GMCC) - Head Athletic Trainer
Northern Alberta Sport Therapy Service (NASTS) – Trainer / Therapist
Stony Plain Eagles Hockey Club – Head Therapist
Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs Hockey Club – Head Therapist
Concordia Thunder Men’s Hockey Team – Head Therapist
Spruce Grove Regals Jr. B Hockey Club – Head Therapist
Edmonton Oil Capitals Jr. B Hockey Club – Head Therapist
University of Alberta Summer Sports Camps - Therapist
Edmonton Sport Institute - First Aid and CPR Instructor
Sylvia has treated many world class athletes, Olympians and served several post-secondary, amateur and professional sports teams. She is currently a Physical Therapist with Skate Canada for the Canadian National Figure Skating Team. She travels worldwide in support of the junior, senior and synchronized teams, including the 2011 & 2019 ISU Sr World Figure Skating Championships, and the 2017 & 2022 ISU Jr World Figure Skating Championships. Sylvia was also selected as a core therapist with the 2022 Niagara Canada Summer Games.
Ms. Ciurysek holds a Master’s degree of Science in Physical Therapy [MScPT] and is a licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Therapist in Canada [CAT(C)]. She also holds a Bachelor of Physical Education degree with distinction [BPE] from the University of Alberta, specializing in Physical Activity and Sport Performance. Sylvia is certified to perform acupuncture through Acupuncture Canada, formerly the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute [CAFCI]. She is also a Sports First Responder certified by the Canadian Red Cross.
Born and raised in the Peace Country, Sylvia grew up on a farm outside the Village of Berwyn, Alberta. After returning to her hometown of Berwyn in 2014, she became a physical therapist for Alberta Health Services where she served the towns of Peace River, Manning, and Fairview, along with the surrounding communities. Sylvia was extremely active in competitive sports throughout her life including volleyball, fastball, slow-pitch, badminton, curling and sprint triathlons. She now enjoys more hiking, swimming, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, Nordic pole walking, target shooting, cycling and personal fitness.
View Sylvia’s feature articles in Move Up Magazine by VAULTmedia:
Move-Up Magazine by VAULTmedia - Issue 15, July 2017
Move-Up Magazine by VAULTmedia – Issue 25, January 2020
The following are other volunteer opportunities and work experiences that Sylvia has engaged in over the years that are worth noting:
2011 – 2023 Canadian National Figure Skating Team - Physical Therapist
ISU Jr Grand Prix 7 - Egna, Italy
ISU World Jr Figure Skating Championships - Tallinn, Estonia
ISU Sr Warsaw Cup - Warsaw, POLAND
ISU Jr Grand Prix - Ljubljana, Slovenia
ISU Sr Grand Prix Cup of China – Chongqing, China
ISU Jr Grand Prix Baltic Cup – Gdansk, Poland
ISU Jr Grand Prix Riga Cup – Riga, Latvia
ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Saitama City, Japan ISU Jr Grand Prix – Richmond, British Columbia
ISU World Jr Synchronized Skating Championships – Zagreb, Croatia Senior Challenge Nebelhorn Trophy – Oberstdorf, Germany
Skate Canada Autumn Classic International – Montreal, Quebec
ISU Jr World Figure Skating Championships – Taipei City, Chinese Taipei Finlandia Trophy – Espoo, Finland
ISU Jr Grand Prix Cup of Mordovia – Saransk, Russia
ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International – Lethbridge, Alberta US International Classic – Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
ISU Jr Grand Prix – Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
ISU Jr Grand Prix – Bratislava, Slovakia
ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Moscow, Russia
Volunteer Therapist / Athletic Trainer
2022 Canada Summer Games
2012 CIS Women’s Hockey National Championships
2008 World’s Longest Hockey Game
2006 / 2003 / 2002 Allan Cup – Senior AAA Hockey Championships 2006 World Cup Triathlon
2005 World Masters Games
2005 CIS Men’s Hockey National Championships
2003 Canada Basketball Prairies Regional Camp
2003 CIS Men’s Volleyball National Championships
2003 Football Alberta & Football Canada Cup
2002 CIS Canada West Women’s Rugby Championships
2002 CCAA National Badminton Championships
2002 Alberta Ballet & Ballet British Columbia
2002 Hockey Alberta and Alberta Winter Games
2001 Canadian National Track and Field Championships
2000 / 1999 / 1998 CCAA Men’s National Basketball Championships 1999 Labatt Brier
1999 Soccer Jr Nationals Tier 1
1997 CIAU Women’s Volleyball Nationals
Guest Speaker on Head Injury in Sport – Alberta Junior Hockey League Canadian Athletic Therapists Association Supervisory Athletic Therapist
Other Work Experience
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) - Instructor on Injury Management Grant MacEwan Community College (GMCC) - Head Athletic Trainer
Northern Alberta Sport Therapy Service (NASTS) – Trainer / Therapist
Stony Plain Eagles Hockey Club – Head Therapist
Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs Hockey Club – Head Therapist
Concordia Thunder Men’s Hockey Team – Head Therapist
Spruce Grove Regals Jr. B Hockey Club – Head Therapist
Edmonton Oil Capitals Jr. B Hockey Club – Head Therapist
University of Alberta Summer Sports Camps - Therapist
Edmonton Sport Institute - First Aid and CPR Instructor