The Unsung Heroes Behind The Olympians

The Support System Of Olympic Athletes

Watching the Olympics, we see athlete after athlete winning events, earning medals, and embracing the glory of being a champion. While these amazing individuals put in the work and earn their success, almost every athlete has a group people who have been part of their journey to success. You could think of them as the unsung heroes behind the heroes.

In this day and age of extreme media coverage, even some of the athletes’ immediate support systems of family, friends, and coaches find themselves in the limelight. Michael Phelps’ mother has had more screen time than many of the less popular events, and Aly Raisman’s parents became a staple of the US Gymnastics coverage in 2012. So when we think of the unsung heroes behind the athletes, we’re going even farther down the line of support…

Acknowledging The Physical Therapists & Athletic Trainers Behind The Athletes

If you’ve ever had to come back from a significant injury that required physical therapy or rehab training, you know how important your relationship with your trainer or therapist is. This is the person who helps your body heal and get back in shape, but this is also someone who motivates and inspires you. This is someone who is part of your physical recovery, but is part your mental and emotional recovery as well. This is someone who can help you believe in yourself and your abilities again. This is a person who can be a difference maker between never making it back to your sport, or coming back stronger than ever. This is someone who we could even say is part of the journey to a gold medal.

It is probably fair to assume that the majority of athletes who make it to the Olympic Games have had some sort of significant injury along the way, and that means that there are trainers and therapists all over the world who have taken part in the amazing journeys we are all watching come to fruition right now. So if you are one of those trainers or therapists watching the greatness unfold, take a moment and be proud of the greatness within you that is a part of it.