Life serves at U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials

July 30, 2012 — Four Life University chiropractic sport science students recently traveled to famed Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., to assist Olympic hopefuls competing in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Track and Field (held June 21 through July 1).

Students Oscar Adorno-Bruno (31), Gregory Busby (25), Michael Drzewieki (25), and Brandon Williams (29), who are dually enrolled in the Doctor of Chiropractic and Master of Sport Health Science programs, were responsible for staffing the chiropractic and massage station check-in in six-day shifts, facilitating athletes’ visits with care providers and occasionally assisting care providers with stretching protocols.

They were accompanied by Sport Health Science associate professor Dr. Keith Rau. Rau, a licensed chiropractor who also served as a care provider during the 2010 U.S. National Championships and also during this event, received the invitation from event organizers in January and co-administered the application and selection process naming the four student volunteers.

Says Rau, “This was an incredible opportunity for deserving students to assist some of the world’s greatest athletes in what is arguably the preeminent track and field facility in the country, and to interact with and learn from the top sports chiropractors in the nation — doctors who are leading the field these students will enter.” The experience was structured as a for-credit course, and students accordingly collected data on chiropractic utilization by the athletes for a potential American Chiropractic Association Sports Council abstract entry.

Though the data has not yet been collated, Rau noted that the services in the Chiropractic and Massage station were far more utilized by athletes and their support teams than were the services available in the Medical tent — “sometimes 20 times more each day,” he says. Considering the popularity of chiropractic and massage care at the event, as well as the positive feedback Rau and the students received from athletic participants and care providers alike, it is clear that Life University and sport chiropractic are a welcome presence at the trials.

“This is the first time we’ve ever had a presence at that level of competition,” Rau says. “Combined with the number of [Life University] DC, alumni who were there rendering care, we represented the school well. Our students were perceived as professional, hardworking, energetic and eager to learn. I see this as a bridge-building opportunity, connecting Life University with athletes, sports chiropractors and sports chiropractic organizations from all over the country.”

Source: Life University, life.edu