Alum Story: Olympic Dreams Come True in Paris

Dr. Jordan Knowlton-Key, DC approached his chiropractor career with laser focus from day one. When he was a first-year chiropractic student at NWHSU, he asked former Human Performance Center director Dr. Tim Stark how to work at the Olympics or Paralympics. It paid off. “After following great mentors’ advice and tutelage for years, I’m here!” shared Dr. Knowlton-Key. He is providing care to Team USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

“This is a dream come true! I’m thrilled to serve our phenomenal para-athletes not only because they are outstanding individuals, but because I don’t get to work with them as often,” said Dr. Knowlton-Key, who works at the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. (You can read more about his impressive sports chiropractic career here).

“This is an unbelievable opportunity to work with these driven athletes more, and to continue my goal of life-long learning.”

What does work at the Olympics look like?

At the Games, he’s working in the High Performance Center as part of an integrative sports medicine team. He’s providing chiropractic care, injury assessment/management, rehabilitation, manual therapy, event/practice coverage, and more. The team includes physical therapists, massage therapists, sport psychologists, athletic trainers, sports dieticians, and advanced medical practitioners.  The clinic lead is a primary care sports medicine physician working closely with coaches and other support staff.

“I’m there to do whatever Team USA needs,” he shared. “I provide typical chiropractic care, but I may also run water to practice, set up and tear down the clinic, or take out the garbage.” (Sports chiropractic is not always glamourous, but for people motivated to support athletes, it’s incredibly rewarding. (Read more sports practice success stories).

How Dr. Knowlton-Key Prepared to Work at the Olympics

As mentioned, Dr. Knowlton-Key always had a goal to work at the Olympics or Paralympics. He served as a sports resident at the Human Performance Center and then stayed on in a fulltime staff position to prepare. “That helped me build my foundational experience,” he said. “Along with having great mentors with knowledge and resource and having opportunities to work at a lot of sports events.”

He consistently checked the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) job board until a job opened up in Lake Placid. He applied, and all his hard work paid off during a competitive application process. Dr. Knowlton-Key is now one of four chiropractors employed by USOPC.

Interested in a sports chiropractic career? NWHSU offers a Doctor of Chiropractic with Sports and Rehabilitation Emphasis to set you up for success.