Cami Stastny, DC, MS (’19), CCSP, just returned from a two-week rotation at the U.S. Olympic Paralympic Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is the flagship training center for the U.S. Olympic Paralympic Committee and the Olympic Paralympic Training Center programs.
The training center serves more than 500 athletes and coaches at any given time and supports boxing, cycling (Olympic and Paralympic), figure skating, gymnastics, Paralympic judo, pentathlon, shooting (Paralympic and Olympic), Paralympic swimming and wrestling.
Read about Dr. Stastny’s experience and how she provided care for the top athletes in United States.
Were you nervous or excited about attending?
Definitely a little bit of both, but in a good way. For instance, I was nervous and excited to work in a new environment with a new system, but I felt unsure on how my approach would fit―I wanted the athletes to like my treatments. I was also excited to meet new colleagues, share ideas and learn the care given to our nation’s best athletes.
What you did during the rotation?
As a volunteer, you are assigned to treat in the clinic and take care of the patients on the schedule. There were times I was assigned to cover practices (I did cycling and men’s gymnastics) and times I was on-call through the night, since we were close enough to respond to any emergencies.With my sideline care though my sports science rehabilitation residency at Logan and several years of clinical experience behind me, I felt well prepared for the rotation.
What was the most surprising or interesting aspect of the rotation?
The most interesting part was learning about the training center’s history … how it’s all sponsored and donated, learning more about each sport and how to treat it, and the role the training center had on each sport versus the national governing body.
How has this experience prepared you for going forward in your career?
It gave me a good experience of working in a true multi-disciplinary environment and learning how to efficiently and effectively treat the athletes as well as manage cases from different perspectives.
What are you doing now?
I am an attending clinician at Texas Chiropractic College in Pasadena, Texas. The opportunity to serve at the Olympic Training Center is available to any sports chiropractor who meets the requirements to apply. These include, but are not limited to, a minimum of three years professional experience and active involvement in the sports community. Details can be found here.