It was an unforgettable day at the Olympics for MGH Institute alumna Deirdre McLoughlin, a physical therapist for Team USA rowing. Earlier today at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in Paris, the men’s four won gold for the first time since the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. 

“I watched them work and fine tune and then ultimately perform on the biggest stage,” said McLoughlin, a longtime physical therapist for USRowing. “You definitely shed some tears watching them, especially if they get a medal.”

The squad took the lead at the 500-meter mark and then held off New Zealand to take the top spot on the podium, winning by less than a second. 

Read about Deirdre McLoughlin’s Olympic experience

There is a chance for more USRowing gold. On Friday morning, the U.S. women’s pair and lightweight women’s double sculls will row in the finals. Watching the athletes earn more medals would be nice, McLoughlin says, but her crowning achievement has been earning the trust of rowers as they compete on the world’s largest stage.

“What I feel really satisfied about is knowing that these athletes would trust me to work on them the night before the Olympic final,” McLoughlin said in a previous conversation with the Office of Strategic Communications. “They trust putting all they have worked for into my hands.”