Healthy Wealthy & Smart 346: Dr. Caralyn Baxter, PT, DPT: The Road to the Winter Olympics
On this episode of the Healthy Wealthy and Smart Podcast, Caralyn Baxter joins me to discuss her experience as a physical therapist in the 2018 Olympic Games. Dr. Caralyn Baxter is a physical therapist for United States Ski and Snowboard and spends roughly a third of the year traveling with the US Freeski Halfpipe team to domestic and international competitions. Most recently, Cara wrapped up a trip to PyeongChang, South Korea for the 2018 Olympic Games where her team brought home gold, silver, and bronze medals. When not traveling with the team, Cara works out of the Center of Excellence in Park City, UT with all US Ski and Snowboard disciplines, developing long term rehabilitation plans and collaborating with the high performance strength and conditioning team to optimize athletes’ health and success.
In this episode, we discuss:
-How Cara’s volunteer work brought her to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games
-What to expect with sports medicine on the road in comparison to in the clinic
-Prioritizing self care in the face of long working hours during competition season
-Cara’s top moments as a clinician in the Olympic Games
-And so much more!
Breaking into sports medicine takes perseverance and grit as Cara has found that, “Sports medicine is very much a world of needing to prove yourself and make those connections first before an opportunity of having a paid position is going to be placed in front of you.” Cara stresses, “You have to be persistent.”
While treating Olympic athletes on the road can be demanding, ultimately, you are responsible for providing the best care for the athletes as Cara reminds, “It wouldn’t be an Olympic experience without the athletes.”
To enhance your success in sports medicine, Cara advises, “Take advantage of any opportunity out there because you never know what door that’s going to open for you.”
For more information on Caralyn:
Dr. Caralyn Baxter is a physical therapist for United States Ski and Snowboard and spends roughly a third of the year traveling with the US Freeski Halfpipe team to domestic and international competitions. Most recently, Cara wrapped up a trip to PyeongChang, South Korea for the 2018 Olympic Games where her team brought home gold, silver, and bronze medals.
When not traveling with the team, Cara works out of the Center of Excellence in Park City, UT with all US Ski and Snowboard disciplines, developing long term rehabilitation plans and collaborating with the high performance strength and conditioning team to optimize athletes’ health and success. She has a particular interest in athlete brain health and concussion rehabilitation, and in the summer of 2017, Cara partnered with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher and implemented the first sports neurology pre participation exams for the US Freeski Halfpipe Team. Additionally, Cara has served as a guest lecturer on concussion rehabilitation at the University of Utah and presented at the 2017 Medical Emergencies in Skiing and Snowboarding conference.
Resources discussed on this show:
Email: cbaxter@ussa.org
Boston Globe: There’s more than one way to make an Olympic dream come true
Concussion Corner Podcast with Dr. Caralyn Baxter
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Have a great week and stay Healthy Wealthy and Smart!
Xo Karen