Dr Paul Dijkstra
Dr Paul Dijkstra completed his medical studies in Pretoria, South Africa. He was one of a hand full of doctors selected to be on duty during the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the first democratically elected South African President in 1994. He was team doctor to the South African Defence Force Team participating in the first CISM Games in Rome in 1995. In the same year he was awarded a BSc Honours degree in Pharmacology with a first class pass from the North West University in Potchefstroom researching the influence of antibiotics on exercise performance.
He completed his Sports Medicine studies (MPhil) at the University of Cape Town and practised for seven years as a Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician in Potchefstroom, while also lecturing Sports and Exercise Medicine as a part time professor at the School for Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science at the North West University. He worked with the National Olympic Committee of South Africa preparing athletes in the North West Province from many Olympic sports for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He also worked extensively with track and field athletes from all over the world, including Great Britain’s Dame Kelly Holmes before her double gold success at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Paul joined UK Athletics in February 2006 as the London Medical Officer and was appointed as Chief Medical Officer in February 2008. Paul has travelled extensively with the Great Britain Track and Field Team to many local and international events including the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, two IAAF World Championships (Osaka and Berlin), two World Indoor Championships (Moscow and Doha) as well as seven European and European Team Championships. He is currently living and working in Qatar as Assistant Chief of Sports Medicine Qatar Sports Medicine Department and was co-founding Director of LSMU.
He completed his Sports Medicine studies (MPhil) at the University of Cape Town and practised for seven years as a Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician in Potchefstroom, while also lecturing Sports and Exercise Medicine as a part time professor at the School for Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science at the North West University. He worked with the National Olympic Committee of South Africa preparing athletes in the North West Province from many Olympic sports for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He also worked extensively with track and field athletes from all over the world, including Great Britain’s Dame Kelly Holmes before her double gold success at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Paul joined UK Athletics in February 2006 as the London Medical Officer and was appointed as Chief Medical Officer in February 2008. Paul has travelled extensively with the Great Britain Track and Field Team to many local and international events including the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, two IAAF World Championships (Osaka and Berlin), two World Indoor Championships (Moscow and Doha) as well as seven European and European Team Championships. He is currently living and working in Qatar as Assistant Chief of Sports Medicine Qatar Sports Medicine Department and was co-founding Director of LSMU.