For elite athletes to perform at their very best, it takes dedication, determination and intense physical preparation to compete at peak levels. Included in that regimen is medical oversight from individuals trained to maximize performance when competition begins.
For the Olympics, Jason Miller, a physical therapist with U.S. Speedskating, is credentialed with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. His duties include ensuring athletes’ training on the “fastest ice on earth” at the U.S. Olympic Oval in Kearns. When he is not helping Team USA, he is the therapy supervisor for University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics.
“I’ve been working with them for almost 10 years now,” he said. “I started with them in 2016, just after the Rio Olympics.”
“I treat injuries and help make sure the athletes are healthy, well and able to compete. Sometimes that’s long-term injuries and sometimes that’s little nicks, scrapes, bruises and muscle strains that come up during training,” Miller said. “The goal and my role are to help keep those athletes ready and to get over those injuries so they can compete at best.”
He works with athletes twice a week, all year round, going to the Olympic Oval (familiarly known as “the speed factory”.)
“In my profession, it’s fulfilling to get people back to being able to do their yard work and things like that,” he said. “But for me, as a sports fan, it’s really enjoyable to work with athletes who are going back to competing and especially those who are competing at a high level.”
To see some of the athletes up on the podium is very rewarding, he said.
“Knowing I’ve helped in a small way is gratifying. All credit goes to the athletes because they’re the ones who work their butts off,” Miller said. “But being able to contribute in a small way to allow them to get over an injury, to get back to competing at their highest level, is very fulfilling. Selfishly, I love it. I love seeing people make that progress. It is very enjoyable work that I do.”
Meanwhile, Trevor Kelsey, another medical staff member will be making his first trip to the games. Originally from Vermont, Kelsey wanted to work in a collegiate setting to gain some real-life experience in his field after completing graduate school with a newly minted master’s degree in athletic training.
“You get some travel, and you get to work with high-level teams,” he said. “Ideally, I wanted to work with either hockey or lacrosse, my two favorite sports.”
However, during his first four years out of college, he worked as a high school athletic trainer. There, he saw a little bit of everything and got firsthand exposure to what his new chosen vocation was like.
For the past four years, he has been providing athletic training for the U.S. Speedskating team through University of Utah Health.
“I was fortunate enough to get assigned to hockey and lacrosse, which was just a surprise and a bit of luck that this job was becoming an actual thing,” he said. That good fortune continued when he found out about a position with U.S. Speedskating and was encouraged to apply.
“It was kind of a shocker when I got the first call. It didn’t even come to my mind at the time that it was an Olympic year,” he said. “It wasn’t until I started the interview process that I realized what was happening.”
About a month later, he learned he would be part of the Olympic training staff at the games in Italy. Now, his priority is putting all his knowledge and effort into helping the team perform at its collective best.
