Oregon Allergy Associates team member Tracy Willemsen volunteering as part of the hospitality team at the Olympic Trials.

With our prior experience with elite athletes dating back to the Olympic Trials in Eugene in 1980 and spanning multiple local, regional, national and international events in the last 32 years, our staff and doctors were proud to volunteer as part of this year’s medical team and serve other aspects of the Olympic Trials. It’s exciting to know that “Tracktown USA”, may become the permanent host to the Olympic Trials.

Oak Street Medical nurse Judy Moran checks bags as fans pour into Hayward Field.

This means that many events are held during grass pollen season, when as much as 20 percent of athletes, as well as fans, have increased symptoms associated with their allergies and asthma. Therefore, our services are in high demand, especially for elite athletes who strive for peak performance during competition. Fortunately, we were able to control symptoms of many of athletes, as well as fans, such that our unique grass pollen level was not a factor.

Our contributions:

•  Provide pollen counts to the public, media and organizations that request it. Our pollen counts, which are also available on our website, have helped coaches and athletes make decisions about whether athletes would run and which preventative medications needed to be utilized.
• Dr. Kraig Jacobson wrote two articles for the Lane County Medical Society newsletter, Of Interest, focusing on the subjects of allergies, asthma, prohibited medications and the procedures for using certain medications and obtaining special permission when needed. Similar information can be found in a previous Oak Street Medical blog post, “Allergies, pollen and the Olympic Trials in Eugene.”
• We’ve helped athletes and their coaches on a day-by-day basis to help adjust medical treatments, depending on the pollen count and competition schedule, within the guidelines and medical exemptions obtained for that athlete.
• We’ve kept up to date, and filed the latest therapeutic-use exemptions when necessary.
• We’ve worked on committees in professional organizations and provided input to guidelines set out for elite athletes.

Our success:

• Our staff members volunteered to help make the Trials a huge success in 2008 and 2012.
• Our elite athletes have not only made the Olympic team but have won Olympic medals for the United States, as well as other countries.
• We have several athletes who will be competing in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

We hope you enjoyed this truly amazing event as much as we did! The encouragement and support of the fans and volunteers are legendary in Eugene. Tracktown USA gave some Olympic athletes the send-off to London. Now, let’s cheer on our United States Olympic hopefuls at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

To see more photos of the Olympic Trials, visit our Facebook page!