Life University Chiropractic Team Aids Nations in Olympic Medals Quest

photo: Allsport/Robert Cianflone

When Honduras's World Cup soccer team beat hometown favorite Australia 2-1 before a screaming crowd in Sydney during the recent Olympic Summer Games, it was a small nation's moment to shine in the international spotlight.

With far fewer resources than larger nations like the U.S. and other major industrial nations, the Olympic committees of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras were seeking any advantage they could find, and they believe they may have found one in chiropractic care for their athletes.

Three Latin American nations are among a small group that used the skills of Life University doctors of chiropractic to keep their athletes in top form and ready for competition. Honduras' athletes enlisted the services of a chiropractor that began traveling with them on August 31 as they prepared for the Olympics. Two doctors also provided care for the team during the last World Cup semi-final match.

Coaches and athletes believe that receiving chiropractic care – during training and before and after events – allows competitors to achieve peak performance. For that reason the three nations brought the chiropractic team along to Sydney with them.

These D.C.s – trained in providing sports chiropractic care to high-performance athletes – were stationed in the Olympic Village. They also accompanied the athletes to practices and were able to provide care to them before and after events.

Costa Rican athletes began receiving care during the most recent Pan American and Central American Games. Guatemala and Honduras are more recent converts to the benefits of chiropractic adjustments. Life has agreements with the Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras Olympic Committees for providing chiropractic care to their athletes.

"Costa Rica has been very gracious to give chiropractic the respect of a professional position," said Dr. John Downes, chairman of Life's Sports Chiropractic Department, who was stationed with the Costa Rican Olympic athletes as team chiropractor, as he had during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Life University Founder and President Dr. Sid E. Williams personally directed the chiropractic team and was invited to accompany the Costa Rican team during its proud march into Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies, along with Dr. Nell Williams and Dr. Downes.

"Walking into the stadium is indescribable sensation, where for just a brief period of time you can feel some of the sensation, vicariously, that the athletes must feel in that venue. It is both a very humbling honor to be part of such an operation, to have such an opportunity, and it is a feeling of a lifetime," clarified Dr. Downes.

Since many events were taking place at the same time, Dr. Williams and Dr. Downes worked with the Costa Rican Chief de Mission, Guillermo Sanchez, to determine where they were needed the most.

"Through the network of athletes who realized that chiropractic care was available in the village, Life University chiropractors had the opportunity to take care of gold medalists and potential gold medalists from other countries when the medical doctors felt there was nothing else they could do for the athletes," described Dr. Downes.

Dr. Fred Fritsch, a two-time Olympic bobsledder, was chosen team chiropractor for the Guatemalan Olympic team. Dr. Nell Williams, Life University's senior vice president, and Dr. Trace Palmer were team chiropractors for the Honduran Olympic team.

"One of the defining moments for me, besides the opening ceremony, was the reality that chiropractic is gaining respect in the countries that it has not achieved within the organizing committees for the Games yet," Downes declared.