In-Depth Look: Athletic Trainer for U.S. Gymnastics Men’s National Team

Fanchon Ohlrogge, MA, ATC is an Athletic Trainer (AT) for the U.S. Gymnastics Men’s National Team. She has been a certified AT for 10 years.

Describe your setting:

I get to be part of the team behind the team. I help take care of the National Team athletes who represent Team USA domestically and around the world. We work together to stay updated on all our National Team athletes while they’re training at home, help with referrals, plan of care and have touch points with them at National Team Camps in between competitions.

Describe your typical day:

Every day is different! When we’re on the road for a competition, a typical day consists of one or two trainings at the venue or training hall, finding time around the trainings and meals to do treatment time or active recovery with the athletes, and keeping up-to-date on any schedule changes or medical needs that pop up while we’re on the ground.

While we’re traveling internationally, we’re always on-call and help take care of everyone in our delegation (i.e., coaches, judges, etc). National Team Camps are similar, but we’re in the U.S. and have a pretty packed training and meeting schedules. When we’re at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, we’re also trying to utilize available resources there to make the most out of the athlete’s time there!

What do you like about your position/What motivates you in your role?

I like that my position allows me to support people as they pursue their big goals. That is also what motivates me; an AT serves teams and athletes in a way that is unparalleled in a lot of professions. You are side-by-side athletes and coaches, with them through the ups and downs, and helping them all when something comes up (an injury/emergency or sewing a hole in a trampoline shoe).

What is your greatest achievement as an AT?

The “biggest” goals I had for myself was to be an AT at the Olympics and I’ve had the honor to do that at Tokyo 2020. By all means, I would say achieving that goal is my ultimate highlight, but I would say the actual achievement is the relationships you build along the way with the patients, coaches, other support staff and medical professionals across the globe.

What advice do you have about your practice setting for a new AT looking at this setting?

Take every opportunity you can! You never know what one opportunity leads to or the people you’ll meet along the way. So, say yes and be willing to show up with your best foot forward. Also, don’t be afraid to share your goals with people you’re working with. A lot of people are willing to help point you in a direction or connect you with someone who could help get you there.

This article was originally published in the 2024 summer “Cert Update” newsletter.