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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 7, 2006 - 5 Special Events for October Oktoberfest October 12, 4:00 - 5:30 Seminar on Arthritis October 16, 2:00 - 3:00 Euchre & Desserts October 25, 2:00 - 4:00 Delmanor Glen Abbey is Oakville's premier retirement residence for active adults. We emphasize independence and individuality in a community environment that promotes an active mind and a sound body. In short, we believe in LivingWell and we'd like you to l join us. If you would like to join us at one of these events or to book a tour, just call Margaret Milley 905-469-3232. TM 1459 Nottinghill Gate just south of Upper Middle, west of Dorval 905.469.3232 LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER www.delmanor.com SPORT ALWAYS A PASSION: Gavin Maxwell is having an open house for his new chiropractic business later this month. He competed for Canada in the Olympics for canoeing in the 1990s and still paddles. Taking a new route By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A bad back and shoulder problems kept Gavin Maxwell from becoming a two-time Olympian. Instead of paddling for Canada at the 2000 Olympics after representing his country in Atlanta in 1996, at age 29, the long-time Burloak Canoe Club member took an early retirement from professional racing. "I was planning to go to the Olympics in 2000, but I just couldn't do it. The whole summer of '99, I was in the physio clinic," said Maxwell, who won multiple world cup medals and a Pan-Am bronze over a decade of international racing. "It pretty much stopped my career." Now, the 36-year-old is pursuing a different profession to help others avoid the situation he was in. Recently graduated from Toronto's Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), the newly-licensed Dr. Maxwell just moved into a downtown Oakville office at Mezei Health and Wellness. "I figured if I had the proper treatment and a chiropractor to help me along the way, it could have maybe lengthened my career," he said. "I don't want people in my situation if we can avoid it. There are things that can be done, through ART (active release technique), acupuncture and chiropractics." Maxwell knows that because as an athlete, those are treatments he received ­ just a little too late in his career. Not only is he trained in the manipulation of joints that comes with chiropractics, but he also took additional studies in acupuncture and the ART, a soft-tissue manipulation that's popular in professional sport. "I took these treatments as an athlete, and that spurred me to learn them," he said. "This is what worked for me in my career, and I want to bring that forward to the patients." And while Maxwell recognizes that as a former professional athlete, he'll attract clients from the sports world, it's not just athletes he's looking to assist. "I want to treat people who want to function better, whether it's at a high-level sport or just being able to play with your kids," he said. "I want to help people lead a better life, people who are motivated to make improvements and want to take an active role in their health." Chiropractics in addition to things like exercise, diet and physiotherapy, he added, can be the difference. These are things he'll be talking about at his chiropractic clinic's open house, which is being held Oct. 14 to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Dr. Michael Mezei, and to introduce Maxwell to the community. Maxwell will be explaining his chiropractic philosophy, which is evidence-based, and dispelling some myths related to the practice, including the idea that chiropractics is limited to assisting and preventing back problems, which many people believe. www.oakvillebeaver.com See Chiropractor page 16