Physical Therapist for USRowing helped injured athletes compete; has advice for aspiring PTs who want to follow similar path

If there was one takeaway from the Paris Olympics for MGH Institute alum Deirdre McLoughlin, it was the sense of togetherness and unity. 

“The Olympics were just amazing. The one thing about the Games that I wish everyone could experience is when you're in the village with all these athletes who are aiming for the same thing, it’s this microcosm of world peace, where everyone is really open in a way that we aren't in real life. Everyone is an equal and trying their best to get some sleep, eat, and do their sport. Everyone's cheering for each other. So, it's a wonderful experience.”

This experience for McLoughlin, DPT ’09, a physical therapist for USRowing, was her third Olympics and vastly different than the Covid restricted Tokyo Games that were held in 2021. 

“You couldn't hug anyone or say hello to them back then, because if I got Covid from you, then I'm out,” recalled McLoughlin from her California home. “So, this just felt like a relief; it was really nice to be able to engage with people.”

Unlike Tokyo, when the U.S. didn’t medal for the first time ever, this Olympic team medaled twice; the Men’s 4 won the gold while the Men’s 8 took home the bronze. 

“We knew that all the boats had some good speed, and those crews did well at the last regatta in Switzerland, so you know that they have potential to be in the mix and get a medal,” said McLoughlin on expectations before the medal races. “It's the Olympics, so it’s not expected. Everyone can be feeling good, but you don’t know what other countries are doing — if they were holding back in earlier races or peaking for the exactly the right time — so it all comes down to what our team does on race day, right?”

During races, the former collegiate rower admitted it was stressful watching from the PT tent where she was often working on other athletes who were getting ready to race. 

“It's really hard to be a spectator,” observed McLoughlin, “especially when you care about the athletes.”

Most Team U.S.A. rowers arrived in Paris healthy, but two athletes had backs that were in tough shape. Fortunately, McLoughlin and her PT partner were able to work on them to the point where both athletes made the finals, and one even medaled. 

“They did great, they raced, and I think did really well, so that is definitely a relief,” said McLoughlin. “When that athlete leaves the room and launches for the final, you're just like, ‘Whew! Okay, we did it.’ That's our job, and then the rest is up to them.”

The long days didn’t allow any time for site seeing or tourist stops; McLoughlin’s day began with a 6:30 am bus ride to Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium and didn’t end until 8:00 pm that night. The sights and sounds of Paris came for McLoughlin and her family when the competition ended. 

Four people stand in front of a large building with columns that has a USA banner and says Team USA House across the top of the building
McLoughlin with her family in front of the Team USA Hospitality House in the Olympic Village.

Deirdre with Family

“I did get lucky enough to stay for a week,” she said, “So I got to experience Paris.”

As for experiencing a fourth Olympic Games, McLoughlin is very interested in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, but she says it will depend on where the athletes are training. For the past two Olympics, most rowers have been training near her home in Oakland, allowing a familiarity between physical therapist and rower that made for a logical placement of McLoughlin on the Team USA rowing staff. 

“But let’s say most of the team ends up training down in Florida. There’s going to be a physical therapist who lives in Florida who will end up working with them, and that will the person who should go to the Olympics, reasoned McLoughlin. “I'd love to go. But we’ll see how it plays out.”

Physical therapists hoping to be in the same boat someday or those wanting to work with major teams might want to take a page out of McLoughlin’s notebook. 

“The path that I took was to work with a team. right? I volunteered at Cal Berkeley once a week for a long time. And then you get the experience of working with athletes, and you can offer to travel to a championship event,” noted McLoughlin. “For example, you might work with an athlete who has an emergent problem at the NCAA rowing championships, and you have to deal with that. Can you handle the stress? Do you like it? 

“You just need to experience that. And the only way to experience it is to put yourself out there. If somebody is a PT and they love basketball, then you find a program. I know that's often the world of athletic trainers, but I think that there's enough teams around that would love to have somebody volunteer and help out.”

For now, it’s back to patients in her private practice and back to the rowers at Cal Berkeley, with whom she works weekly. As McLoughlin looks at her position in life, experience is one thing she’s grateful for, and her education is another. 

“I'm so grateful that the MGH Institute gave me the skills to get my doctorate to have that kind of leadership position that adds to the confidence that you need to have,” said McLoughlin. “I'm grateful that I have the self-confidence to manage difficult situations that came up and bring my best self to them.”

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