- Tuesday, April 30, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
HE is not a player but still he is an integral part of the United States’ Olympic contingent and this year, he has been picked to assist the athletes for the fourth straight Games.
Meet Harris Patel, a member of the US Track and Field medical staff at the Tokyo Games that are currently underway. He was also with America’s track and field stars in Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016) and is certainly one among the unsung heroes behind the country’s consistent show at the mega event.
Follow more Tokyo Olympics news here
Patel was born in Lusaka, Zambia, to Gujarati parents and moved to the US when he was only five. He graduated from Norcross High School, Georgia, where he took part in games like football and baseball. He settled back in Gwinnett as a long-time athletic trainer and physician’s assistant at Sports Medicine South in Lawrenceville in the same county, reported the Gwinnett Daily Post. Patel also has a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and a master’s in medical science degree from Emory University, Georgia.
Patel is still involved at Norcross High as the director of sports medicine, lives in Suwanee city in the same county and runs his own company Medical Game Plan.
The man’s career choice never left him confined to one place and bagging the Olympic assignments is proof. Patel, who feels old while attending his fourth Olympics, also thinks it’s cool and something honourable.
“It’s cool and I’m obviously very honored be in my fourth Games again with some of our veterans like Allyson Felix. And talking to some of the other athletes, young athletes, sharing my experience with the medical staff and coaches and athletes, ensure a little more comfort. I didn’t realize until recently I’m more a vet, a senior person to help guide everyone, like ‘Harris, what do you think we should do?’ I never looked at me in that role until recently,” the Post quoted Patel who has travelled extensively around the world with US athletes and even soccer players. Before the Olympics, he also worked with the American men’s soccer team. Patel also has experience of working with the NBA last summer.
However, the current Olympics have made Patel’s work a bit more challenging, thanks to the ongoing Covid pandemic. He has to take full care of the Covid safety measures and ensure the athletes representing the country are safeguarded. These challenges made his usual training tasks a bit tricky.
But Patel said while he is concerned, he is not worried.
“The U.S. (committee) and the Japanese local organizing committee have done a really great job on protocols for all the delegation members,” he said. “The strict protocol we have will ensure we have a safe and special Olympic games. … The difference with this one is mainly what we’re dealing with in the world and at the end of the day, it’s about keeping everybody safe.”
And he is also ensuring that the Olympics experience counts and he and his team do not get too engaged with Covid concerns.
“The most exciting part is when you put on the red, white and blue and you’re representing our country and the sport I represent,” Patel told the Post. “It’s just an honor. I’m blessed to do that. When you look at the different sports and the different athletes competing for themselves and competing locally, then when we go worldwide all eyes are on the red, white and blue and the American flag. It’s just chills, especially when one of our athletes wins the gold medal. That’s the most exciting part.”
In this Olympics, the US are having an intense competition with China and hosts Japan for the top position. On Tuesday (27), they were placed second with nine golds, eight silvers and as many bronzes after Japan (10 golds, three silvers and five bronzes).
