HEAVY MEDAL LINEUP. Dr. Kevin Schultz (second from right, back row) will travel with the USA Wrestling team to the Summer Olympics in Rio.

Local chiropractor Dr. Kevin Schultz of My Life Health Center in Lake Hallie is very excited to be headed to his second Olympics in four years to work with American wrestlers competing in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

Schultz leaves on Aug. 10, and during his time at the games he’ll be responsible for adjusting the spines and extremities of the wrestlers, which improves athletic performance, reduces injuries, and speeds recovery time.

“Besides the fact that these athletes are competing for medals at the Olympics, it isn’t a whole lot different than treating athletes at My Life Health Center in Hallie. ... The biggest difference is that I don’t have to encourage the athletes to work out.” – Dr. Kevin Schultz, on working with U.S. wrestlers at the Summer Olympics

“All of these, of course, are incredibly important when you are competing on the world’s stage,” he said.

Schultz reports there are three different types of wrestling teams competing – including men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, and men’s Greco-Roman – but he will only be providing adjustments to the Greco-Roman wrestling team.

And of course, in addition to working with wrestlers, Schultz is hoping to take in some other events if he can. “I don’t officially have tickets to anything yet because I spend most of my time with the athletes, so I really have to wait until I am there and then plan around my schedule,” he said. “That being said, I am hoping to make it to volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, and possibly others.”

The opportunity to participate as a provider at the Olympics arose for Schultz because he is part of Maximized Living, a network of chiropractors that has a partnership with organizations such as USA Wrestling. Six years ago, he was offered an opportunity to travel to Italy to adjust wrestlers at the Junior World Championships. Two years later, he treated wrestlers at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and he has also worked at four World Games in places such as Hungary and Turkey.

So how is treating world-class athletes at the Olympics different than treating hometown athletes in Lake Hallie? Schultz says: “Besides the fact that these athletes are competing for medals at the Olympics, it isn’t a whole lot different than treating athletes at My Life Health Center in Hallie. While I’m adjusting spines, I’m educating on anything and everything health related, with a focus on things like nutrition and boosting immune function, detoxing, and more. The biggest difference is that I don’t have to encourage the athletes to work out.”

When the opportunity came up to go to Rio, he jumped at it due to his amazing experience in London in 2012: “(The previous Olympics) was a great experience all the way around, from working with the athletes at the training center to attending track and field, beach volleyball, and gymnastics competitions.” He describes the energy at the Olympics as “electric,” and said, “The people in London were incredibly nice and helpful. And, of course, the large majority of fans are friendly and excited to be there which helps with the overall energy.”

Schultz says overall being at the Olympics is a very invigorating experience.“The main reason it is so fun is because it is so unexpected,” he said. “There was never a point early in my career where I thought I would be adjusting at the Olympics, so I feel like I have to pinch myself.”