What it’s like to treat the world’s greatest athletes

For about a month this summer, Isono will be in Paris helping prepare comprehensive medical care for the Olympians, coordinating with other specialists, and treating everything from upper respiratory issues to dislocations and lacerations. He shares what it’s like caring for the members of the U.S. Olympic team.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you get involved with the Olympics?

I grew up in Oakland, went back east for college and medical school, and after I completed my orthopedic surgery training, I returned to the East Bay and started a practice in sports medicine. My involvement with my first Olympic team was USA Judo. One of the Olympic team coaches had his dojo in El Cerrito and asked me to take care of his athletes. I was then invited to the Olympic training facility which led to my involvement with multiple Olympic teams over the years.

From a physician standpoint, you begin covering local events followed by regional and national events and finally international events. The international events include World University Games, World Championships, the Pan American Games, with the ultimate event being the Olympic Games.

Stanford Medicine’s Steven Isono takes the helm as head physician for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Lisa Kim caught up with Isono at a recent Team USA vs. Hungary water polo match at Stanford to talk about his goal of keeping the athletes healthy and his excitement to watch them fulfill their lifelong dreams. | Stanford Medicine

How would you describe your job?

Taking care of an Olympic athlete is very comprehensive in nature as it involves many different specialists including physicians, physical and massage therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, dieticians, and sports psychologists. We all work together with one goal in mind, which is to provide the best care to allow them to achieve their dream. To be an integral part of this is really very special and at the same time, it is very challenging.

My commitment for the Paris Summer Olympic Games is approximately one month. Team USA has two major medical clinics: one in the Olympic Village and one in the High Performance Center (HPC), a dedicated training facility just for Team USA. Multiple sports use the HPC for training, including track and field, soccer, fencing, boxing, weightlifting, archery, and many other disciplines. The dining facility at the HPC is actually staffed by the chefs from the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, as nutrition is also of utmost importance at this time. We try not to disrupt training schedules to mentally, physically, emotionally keep them in the groove and focused.

We all work together with one goal in mind, which is to provide the best care to allow them to achieve their dream.”

What kind of care is your team providing?

Our medical team is composed of many different specialties to provide any type of medical evaluations and treatment for all of our Team USA athletes. In the HPC and village medical clinics, we mostly see and treat minor injuries sustained during training and competition as well as providing the important maintenance treatment for all of the athletes.

In the Olympic Village, the host country also has a facility called the PolyClinic, which is a mini-hospital with additional medical specialties including pulmonary, cardiac, ENT, dermatology, etc., and also has X-ray, CT, and MRI scanners. We also have a dedicated translation service for our athletes. Outside of the village, in case of a true emergency, we have designated hospitals which we have assessed prior to the Games for our athletes.

What’s different about treating Olympic athletes?

From a personal standpoint, Olympic athletes are different because their ultimate performance occurs only once in a four-year period. Therefore, the physical, mental, and emotional content for an Olympic athlete is greater than the athletes we see on television or ESPN. The athletes in college and major league sports are certainly extremely talented as well, but their success is determined in a yearly season. For these athletes, there are four years of preparation and one ultimate competition.

How do you prepare for trips to the Olympics?

We have a dress code to follow in the medical clinics so we are provided with all the clothing for the Games. All of our medical supplies – including medications, suturing instruments, casting materials, and an ultrasound machine – are sent in crates to our facilities. When we arrive, we then set up our medical clinics.

We have monthly preparation meetings, which start six to nine months before the Games as information is relayed from the National Organizing Committee to discuss the physical layout of the facilities, housing, regulations, staffing, logistics, documentation, safety, etc. About one to two months before the Games, meetings occur every two weeks.

It is very special to be a part of something so much larger than one can imagine.”

How do you juggle your Stanford responsibilities?

Fortunately, my department chairman of orthopedic surgery, Dr. Bill Maloney, is very understanding of my role with the Olympics and allows me the necessary time for the Games and all of the other events associated with the Olympics. I also have a partner who also is in sports medicine, and will take care of any acute problem when I’m away. Lastly, my patients are very understanding, as I tell them months in advance and adjust my schedule accordingly.

What do you enjoy most about going to the Olympics?

One of the most enjoyable things for me about going to the Olympics is seeing many friends not only from the United States but also from all over the world, as I have been involved with the Olympic movement since the 1990s. It is also very special to be a part of something so much larger than one can imagine. Seeing all of the different people from all over the world together in one area is very special. Every time I am at the Games, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Team USA and take care of these special athletes.

Any advice you often give to athletes?

I’m not sure that I give advice to Olympic athletes and when I think about it, I believe that I learn from them much more than they learn from me. After all of the training, the ups and downs both physically and mentally, the pinnacle of winning and the disappointment of losing, and the finality of their career, having a conversation with these athletes provides a great perspective on life.