It’s been seven weeks since I returned from my two-week volunteer opportunity at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) Colorado Springs.
When I first arrived, looking only from the outside, I didn’t think the facilities were all that impressive. However, once I was given a tour of the inside of the facilities, it was easy to be impressed!

 My initial thoughts on applying as a Physical Therapist (PT) at the OTC were mostly that it would be a great experience and it would be fun. I was there with another PT, Chiropractor and Sports Medicine physician. It was a little intimidating at first, but I quickly settled in and tried to help. The first week I was assigned to the free-style wrestling team (male). I was covering practices, evaluating injuries, patching cut eyes and bloody noses – you name it. When I wasn’t there, I was in the clinic seeing whoever walked in the door.

The Colorado Springs facility houses male/female wrestling, male/female weight lifting, male/female swimmers, male/female shooters, male gymnastics, and triathletes. The OTC also hosts other countries’ athletes. When I was there, there were wrestlers from Sweden, Slovakia, Argentina, and Serbia. There are a lot of camps, tryouts and tournaments as well.

 My first patient was a 6 foot 4 inch, 260-pound Greco-Roman wrestler named Jalmar. He was huge! He had been experiencing shoulder pain for at least a couple of months. I asked him what made it hurt and he said “the Gut Wrench.” “Oh,” was my response, not knowing what a Gut Wrench was!
 I was to learn a lot about all of the sports, how they are performed and scored. Jalmar had never experienced Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) and was amazed at how well it worked. Over the two weeks I was there and treating him, he improved significantly and was painfree by the time he was headed back to Sweden.

 I went on to meet and treat numerous athletes. All of them were very appreciative and grateful for any help they received. The athletes are very well cared for with a team of physicians, nutritionists, physiologists, psychologists, chiropractors, strength coaches and trainers. I was amazed at how dedicated everyone at the OTC was. Everyone literally puts their lives on hold to work towards attaining their dream – or helping others achieve theirs. They will work on a one-minute piece of a gymnastic routine, or a specific wrestling move, or the first part of a lifting technique for hours!

The facility also has a multi-million dollar video playback system that enables athletes to review their last performances with an eye towards continual improvement. Again, the athletes are all extremely dedicated!

 The big news when I was there was hearing Michael Phelps was coming. He did! He never came into the clinic, but I did see him in the dining room. It was a great experience and I did have fun!
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