This past weekend, I dedicated several hours volunteering at a NCAA Rowing Championships event in Sarasota, Florida. I offered help wherever possible by handing out water bottles to athletes, monitoring over the rooftop for any capsized boats, and bringing ice and medical equipment to the sports medicine chiropractor as she assessed injured athletes.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and I even had a classmate, Maria, join me on this volunteer opportunity that day. It was a great way to fulfill a CCL requirement, watch athletes compete in this grueling sport, and observe doctor-patient interactions! It was amazing to see how supportive athletes are of their team and even other teams. As one team passed through the finish line first, you could hear the other crew team congratulating them and yelling,” You guys crush that! Great Job” after they made their way past the finish line too. It is really motivating to attend events like this as they make you proud of your community for organizing such a fantastic event, and these sports events encourage you to work on your physical and mental health by exercising.

While we did wear masks during the event, Maria and I did get a snapshot after the event together holding our volunteer passes!

In terms of education, attending this event was also helpful in understanding patient-doctor interactions. The medical team was very efficient and prepared to jump in when they saw an athlete struggling. The athletes did fantastic and only one needed medical intervention after suffering from an asthma attack. The Sports Medicine Chiropractor ran to the dock, urged the rowing team to head that way, and did a quick pulmonary and cardiac exam on the athlete. I loved watching the whole medical team, which composed of a head sports medicine chiropractor, EMTs, an orthopedic surgeon, parametic, podiatrist, etc) as they worked really well together. They are all involved in different fields, yet come together for these events to help the community. You can see that they truly enjoy their occupation and love attending sports events offering their services. It is inspiring.

It was also Memorial Day weekend, which means it was also important to appreciate and honor active military service and all they have done for our country and safety. To any readers that have served for our country, THANK YOU!

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