AIDA Medical Certificate

[rxcnc2]

It's that time of the year when I have to redo my medical certificate. For a number of years I had it done with a local sports doctor. He does lung/ears/urine/ECG tests. The result are two lines where he states he has no objections to me doing underwater sport activities. In german. So far this has been fine at competitions, either because they understood german or because I translated it and swore on a number of generations of my ancestors that it was the truth.

Thsi time, I am wondering whether the right thing to do is to use the AIDA Medical Statement. So I had a look at it. It says that I have to fill a number of Y/N in a questionaire, and then sign it. ok that's easy, frankly I don't see why planning to become pregnant would be a factor but being male I should not worry.

Now, the question: it says that IF I have ticked yes to any question, the physician has to express agreement or not. But if I tick NO to all questions, I don't need to go to a physician!... or is it my bad english?

 

[trux]

Yes, the formulation on the form is indeed unfortunate, but if you do not bring a medical certificate in English, declaring you are fit for freediving, signed, and with a stamp containing full address and telephone of the physician, you won't be accepted to any AIDA competition respecting the rules. English written certificate singed by a physician is simply mandatory, although it does not look like from the text on this specific form (which is not mandatory, BTW). Personally, I created a bi-lingual French-English form for members of our club, that is conform to both FFESSM and AIDA rules. If anyone is interested, I can publish it. And on the Czech AIDA website, there is a simple form in four or five languages.

EDIT: there is the Czech form in 5 languages (Czech, German, English, French, and Hungarian) here:
http://www.aida-czech.cz/cz/download/lekarske_potvrzeni.pdf

 

[rxcnc2]

Yes, the formulation on the form is indeed unfortunate, but if you do not bring a medical certificate in English, declaring you are fit for freediving, signed, and with a stamp containing full address and telephone of the physician, you won't be accepted to any AIDA competition respecting the rules.

Yes, and I imagine that by hiring any half-decent freshly graduated lawyer I could sue and get all my money back including travel, lawyer's fee, and a new wetsuit. So it would be good if AIDA eventually managed to write a consistent form, maybe taking example from your multilingual one.

For the time being I'll continue with my german statement, and ask the doctor if he wants to sign anyway the english form.

 

[trux]

No, I do not think you could get anything - the rules tell it very clearly that the certifacte has to be in English, signed by a medicine doctor (other than yourself, if you are one), and including the full address and a phone number in the stamp or signature. There is nowhere stated in the rules what form you have to use, and nowhere is stated that you have to use the form available on AIDA's website. So if you bring it, and it does not fulfill the requirements of the rules, you can be refused participation at any competition. And I recall it indeed happened in the past.

BTW, I've put my bi-lingual medical certificate available for those who are interested and are registered at APNEA.cz - it comes out pre-filled (assuming you filled in your personal data in the User Profile), so you just bring it to the doctor as it is:

http://apnea.cz/fr/medcert.html

If anyone wants other language versions, or some modifications in it, just let me know.

 

[Kimmo]

From Aida rules:

3.1.8
All athletes must be in possession of a signed "medical certificate of non contraindication to freediving" written in English in order to participate in competitions; the medical certificate cannot be older than one year. The signature must be that of a doctor and must include contact information. If an athlete is a doctor, they cannot sign their own medical certificate.

3.1.9
Points 3.1.6, 3.1.7, 3.1.8 must all be inspected during registration.

Stamp seems not to be mandatory regarding the current rules. Although I have heard some rumors that some of the organizers or judges may have requested it. It may be also good to notice that the current rules does not say anything about sertificate itself in detail level either (about form, size, lenght, text, fonts etc.). As an judge at "the darkside of the force" I might be capable to bend this rule pretty much. Althouh I prefer to stay on "the bright side of the force"

- kimmo

 

[trux]

I just made the APNEA.cz bi-lingual (French-English) medical certificate form available even to unregistered visitors of my website. So if you have an account, log in before loading it - it will come up pre-filled with your personal data (assuming you entered them in your User Profile). For non-members it comes out blank.

If you are a member of an APNEA.cz team/club, or if you create one there, the certificate comes up with customized header - having the name of your club and its logo at the top. Like for example these ones:

http://apnea.cz/fr/medcert.html?team=1
http://apnea.cz/fr/medcert.html?team=5

I'll probably add a Czech/English version shortly, and perhaps a German/English one too. If anyone cares sending me other translations, or other requests for modifications, I'll be glad trying to accommodate them.

EDIT: I just added also the user's photo (assuming you uploaded one in your User Profile), so the cert now looks even more fancy . I have my copy laminated, so that I do not destroy it when carrying with me to swimming pools.

 

[trux]

OK, I added also the promissed Czech-English version of the medical certificate form. This one is a different model, and can be used also for scuba diving and other underwater sports. That's the case at the French form too, but unlike this Czech form which is practically identical in both Czech and English, the French one is in fact a modified official FFESSM certificate, with just a short freediving-specific paragraph in English.

The Czech-English form can be accessed here:
http://apnea.cz/cz/medcert.html

If you log into your APNEA.cz account before loading the form, it comes up pre-filled with your personal data, customizes club header and logo, and your portrait photo (of course, assuming you have the information already in your APNEA.cz user profile).

Please let me know if you find and spelling errors, inadaquate expressions, or any other problems.

There are screenshots of both Czech and French sample prefilled certs here:

 

[trux]

OK, I fixed some spelling errors, changed some formulation, improved the formatting, and added also a pure English version too. There are all three versions here:

http://apnea.cz/en/medcert.html
http://apnea.cz/fr/medcert.html
http://apnea.cz/cz/medcert.html

As I already wrote, if you wish having such form, including the automated pre-filling, in another language, just send me the translation, and I try adding it too. And if your national federation requires different formulations or layout, I can try accomodating it too.

 

[samdive]

the form was designed for students on courses - and they can self certify if they answer no to all the forms

there is no separate form for competitions - but for competitions it needs to be signed by the doctor regardless of your answers

so it's not really a translation issue, just that technically, a form for competitions, does not exist yet.