For Haymarket chiropractor, 15 days of Olympian efforts

"An opportunity of a lifetime."

That's how Dr. Holly Moriarty, owner of Haymarket Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, described her selection by the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve as a sports chiropractic volunteer at its training center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

For 15 days in June, Moriarty provided care and treatment for top athletes from a variety of sports, including men's gymnastics, wrestling, track and field, triathlon and weightlifting.

Working at the Olympic Training Center has been a life-long dream of this sports medicine professional.

"It took me over seven years to accumulate the credentials to even submit my application," noted Moriarty.

The requirements are rigorous and include a combination of practice experience, education, two years of on-site sports teamwork, and training in specific sports medicine techniques.

The OTC is host to thousands of athletes each year who attend training camps and selection tournaments at its state-of-the-art facilities. Some top-level athletes also live at the center, one of three in the United States.

A typical day for Moriarty began at 7:45 a.m. at the OTC clinic, where she was responsible for evaluating injuries and treating athletes through a combination of chiropractic adjustments, kinesiology taping, and muscle stretching and strengthening.

Her days were divided between assisting at the clinic and providing on-site care to athletes at the facilities where they were training and competing.

While in Colorado Springs, Moriarty was on hand to see the men's gymnastics team training camp for the top 20 male gymnasts in the country. Six gymnasts made the team that will represent the U.S. in the next world competition. Other athletes were preparing to travel overseas for world tournaments or were competing in trials to qualify for other events.

The top-notch facilities at the center, which include a sports science laboratory and a velodrome for cycling, are impressive and Moriarty believes the athletes benefit greatly from "the open access within one facility to so many health care professionals from a variety of disciplines."

The OTC's health care team includes sports chiropractors, athletic trainers, physical therapists, primary care physicians, orthopedists, eye doctors and dentists. Moriarty added that "even the cafeteria is outstanding. The meals are delicious and healthy, and include a nutritional breakdown so you can track exactly what you were eating."

In addition to working with patients and area athletes in her Haymarket/Gainesville area practice, Moriarty also serves as the medical director for the Haymarket Senators baseball team and works regularly with the Curl Burke West Senior Elite swimmers. Recently, she provided KT Taping demonstrations in an online interview with The Wall Street Journal and for runners in the Marine Core Marathon. Dr. Moriarty was also selected by Washingtonian Magazine as a Chiropractic Top Expert in Sports Medicine.

Of her trip to provide care and treatment to Olympic in Colorado Springs, Moriarty remarked, "It was just an amazing experience to work with so many world-class athletes from a variety of sports. I have learned many new techniques and approaches that I and my physical therapy staff will use to help speed the healing of our patients."