Greg Wells will finally fulfill his dream of participating in the Olympics — not as a competitor but as an on-air expert.

After a gruelling selection process, including four on-camera auditions, CTV and TSN chose Dr. Wells as their on-camera sport science and medicine consultant for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Wells, a scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children, will host 12 pre-filmed segments to illustrate how the human body works during sports, the first of which will air during the opening ceremonies this Friday, February 12. In addition, he will do a live rundown of injuries and gold medal performances to enhance awareness and understanding of the science behind why some athletes prevail over others.

“The segments will feature some incredible video footage like what happens to the knee joint during mogul skiing or the heart during biathlon,” Wells explained. “At the Games I’ll provide sport science and sport medicine analysis for the various sports on a daily basis.”

As a competitive swimmer growing up, Wells fought for a spot in the Olympics twice. Although he did not make it to the Games, he chose a career that allows him to study the human body during exercise. In his work, he examines the entire spectrum of physical ability from patients with chronic disease to elite athletes.

The chance to highlight his work on an international stage and represent SickKids globally is an opportunity Wells could not pass up.

“As a former athlete, coach and now a physiological scientist, the Olympics represents the ultimate laboratory for discovering how far the human body can be pushed,” he said. “And from my personal perspective, I am a huge sports fan so watching the Games up close will be absolutely fantastic.”

To follow Dr. Wells as he reports from the Olympic Games, check out his daily blog or his Twitter account, @drgregwells.