Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
Hello Everyone. Right now in the United States you are probably tuning in to watch the Opening Ceremony that happened last night in Beijing. You will be in for an incredible show! The Beijing Organizing Committee put on an absolutely spectacular show last night! You will not be disappointed!
Our training camp in Dalian continues to operate two practices a day. A large number of athletes flew to Beijing, a one hour flight, to attend Opening Ceremony. Some are returning today while others will remain at our High Performance Training facility at Beijing Normal University (BNU). We are slowly moving our sports medicine staff over to Beijing. We have a full staff in place there with both USOC credentialed and USATF credentialed. We had four new staff members arrive at our training camp two days ago, another massage therapist, a chiropractor, and two athletic trainers. I depart for Beijing on Monday, Aug. 11. The first day of competition for Track and Field is Aug. 14.
The big buzz at Training Camp happened two days ago when the USA team voted that Lopez Lomong should be the Team Flag Bearer. After the vote in the evening, we were all sworn to three hours of keeping this a secret until the USOC could announce it through the Press office. Everyone was told no texting, email, blogging, or phone calls to anyone about the selection for three hours. It was a very emotional and proud moment for all of us watching Lopez carry the American flag into Beijing National stadium aka the “birds nest”. Lopez returns today to our training camp in Dalian.
Practice for the team has been going very well. The Athletic Therapy room is open from 7am to 11pm daily, seven days a week both here at the training camp and at our facility in Beijing. Athletes can make 30 minute appointments each day during that time period for massage, stretching, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, and any rehab modalities or to see the team physician for any medical ailments. For those of you who are looking for the glamour associated with this type of setting, be prepared to work 18 hour days and some. You have to be on your feet a lot.
I have a whole routine of personal care that makes it work for me. The key is recovery after each day and taking care of hydration during the day. It is very hot here! And that would be an understatement when you factor in the heat index of 100 degrees plus, each day! You lose a tremendous amount of water and electrolytes. All of us on the staff who work moring practices at Dalian Universtiy use electrolyte beverages to stay ahead. We have had some athletes challenged by the heat here.
I wear SKINS compression tights during the day when I am working because they keep my legs fresh. I also sleep in the Travel and Recovery SKINS at night which makes all the difference in my ability to work on 20 athletes a day in 30 minute blocks of time and stay on my feet! At night, I massage a homeopathic cream (Traumeel, onto my forearms and hands especially, followed by a thick layer of Neutrogena Hand Cream, Norwegian Formula (fragrance free). I then sleep in cotton gloves. I also wear work gloves when we are loading massage tables and gear bags and pulling equipment carts when we travel to practices. You have to protect your hands when you are not massaging or stretching from nicks, cuts, bruises, etc. that can occur when you least expect it.
The Chinese security continues to be tight here for the USA team. We are probably the safest people in Dalian China at the moment. We have three (3) training sites that we send therapist with athletes each day. Three days ago I was at the China National training center where our throwers train (shot put, discus, javeling, hammer). A group of Chinese physios gathered around me and wanted to ask me questions about our protocols of care. I ended up demonstrating technique and stretching one of them because they were fascinated with the Yortho stabilizing straps that we use on all our USA team tables. They were also impressed with the quality of the Olympic Special Edition Oakwork massage tables, which are absolutely stunning with the Olympic Rings and USA woven into the fabric.
At the end of my 40 minute inservice and demonstration, I was told by our Chinese translator that the woman who spoke with me was the Mayor of Dalian’s daughter who wants to study to be a physiotherapist and that one of the gentlemen in the audience watching me was in fact the Mayor? Not sure on this with the translation but it appeared to be someone of importance. Another positive cultural exchange. Now whenever I am at the Training Center the Chinese Swat agent assigned to us has taken to addressing me as “doctor” and actually asked to take a photo with me–so I did.
All is well. The Olympic Games have begun. Our athletes are ready!
Benny Vaughn LMT, ATC, CSCS
Dalian China
Beijing China 2008
Posted on August 8th, 2008 by Benny Vaughn
Filed under: 2008 Olympics
Benny,
Great Blog! The Opening Ceremony was amazing!!! We look forward to more blogs from within the sidelines.
Thanks.
ML
Great Blog Benny and what an amazing Opening Ceremony for the games. Keep the stories coming and take care of your self. I look forward to seeing you when you get back and hearing more stories.
You go, Ben,
LOVED the opening ceremonies, and we’re so proud of the work you’re doing. Anita was leaving for India during the broadcast, we’re hoping for the best. Arlene is staying in touch, her letters are most entertaining and she is enjoying “being Benny”. We’re in the cool, cool mountains for the week, back to Gainsville the 16th. We’ll be watching and thinking of you.
Love, Judy and Bob
Dear Benny, Awesome report from Olympics/ Beijing Ground Zero!!! I just got off the phone with Arlene. We were an item many years ago about the time she went thru FSM. I lived with her on St John for two yrs in ‘85-’86. I am back in G’ville and just graduated from FSM. My daughter was in the Fall ‘05 class. Massage lives on!!! What a fantastic opportunity you have to be in China doing what you are doing! Congratulations! Keep up the great work and be well. Take care, Jaydee
Thank you for sharing your incredible experience from Beijing and Dalian. I am so proud of you for representing our profession. I can relate to what you are going through in the world of the Olympics. It is honorable and noble to be are part of history in this way. And you are right, this may be the best Olympics ever. You have been at this several times, and you deverse a gold medal. It takes an incredible amount of passion to be able to give of yourself physically and mentally 18 hours a day. I wish you all the best.
Benny:
Great work with these wonderful athletes as usual! Your service to them and to the massage profession is greatly admired by so many of us. How’s the air? Are any of the athletes concerned about it or did the mitigation measures work?
Whitney
Hey there, Benny–Petey and I really loved the opening ceremony. It was just amazing, especially the choreography of so many people in unison. I am sure you are doing an awesome job getting our athletes prepared for their events. They are certainly IN THE BEST HANDS!
We would love to hear from you–I seem to be blocked in every method I try. Everything is going smooth on the homefront.
GO USA!!
Hi Dr. Vaughn, we think it is great that you use Traumeel to help heal yourself for the rigors of healing the Olympic athletes. I work for Heel, the makers of Traumeel. I saw your blog and just thought I’d tell you that you and Traumeel are in good company. A fellow colleague, David MacIvor, DOM, AP, from Florida is at the Olympics working with mostly track and field competitors and he, too, has Traumeel on site. Thanks for the mention.
Sincerely,
Joan Sullivan,
Medical Education & Communications Manager
Hi, Benny, what a fantastic blog, and what an experience you are having. So proud of you - your old friend from Gvlle says. Have a wonderful time there and I look forward to reading your blogs! I would love to see a picture of that massage table. It sounds incredible! Those athletes are so lucky to have you.
Benny,
Thanks for the blog. It’s great to stay in touch from the ground floor. I know you work hard. The insight about what your day is like is good for us to hear. Many would think you do a few brisk massages and then bask in the glory of gold medals and high fives.
One of my favorite memories of you is the day I was your last patient on a Friday and due to a scheduling mix up you had seen clients straight through from the morning — no lunch. I looked at you and said, “Do you have anything left?” A grin slipped across your face as you spread your arms palms forward and said, “It’s me!”
That’s right, Benny. It’s you. Those 18 hour days don’t come cheap. I know you’ve paid your dues over and over. And the photos of the athletes on your wall testify to the fact that many of the athletes are very respectfully grateful.
The Olympics is a great event. Many inspiring moments have had their genesis at The Games. Where else is there such an eruption of nationalism without a drop of malicious blood shed? I am proud of you for what you do. I am proud of our country and what it produces. I am glad you are over there helping our athletes be the inspirational souls they were designed by God Himself to be.
You are a lot more than a good pair of hands.
Blessings, Strength, Health, Joy and Peace,
Stacy