Area chiropractor selected for Olympics

SARASOTA — Growing up, Dr. Roger Romano had aspirations of becoming a dentist — following in the footsteps of his family dentist and role model.

But those plans got derailed when Romano suffered a serious back injury while lifting weights during his final year of college.

Romano’s doctors said he needed to have surgery; but rather than going under the knife, the former bodybuilder sought out the help of a chiropractor, who not only helped alleviate Romano’s pain but also ultimately saved him from surgery.

Shortly after his recovery, Romano decided to become a chiropractor, and in 1986 he earned his doctorate from Life University in Atlanta, Ga.

Now 24 years after moving to Sarasota and opening Romano Family Chiropractic, Romano is hoping to help other athletes avoid serious injuries of their own. But this time, he’ll be doing it on one of athletics’ biggest stages — the 2012 Olympics.

Romano is one of 40-50 chiropractors from across the country who will be serving as chiropractors for the U.S. Olympic Team.

“It’s definitely a lifelong dream,” Romano said. “I’ll actually be there before, during and after taking care of the athletes right there while they’re competing.”

Romano, who is a part of the Wellness Advisory Council, was nominated for the opportunity about one-and-one-half years ago. Once he was selected, Romano had to undergo a four-part certification process, which included certification in athletic injury, performance nutrition, spinal correction and spinal certification from the U.S. weightlifting coach.

Romano, who already has been to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs to meet with some of the athletes, will be one of the chiropractors for the U.S. wrestling, judo and weightlifting teams.

“Most Olympic teams have a chiropractor,” Romano said. “We’re taking care of them along the way. We’re working with them to prevent injury rather than waiting for them to come to us.

“We’ll be able to take care of the athlete right before he competes and then right after,” Romano said. “It’ll be real time. We’ll be right there and be right in the middle — not just as a spectator but actually participating with the athletes. It hasn’t fully hit me yet.”

Aside from taking care of the athletes before and after they compete, Romano also is hoping to provide them with information on preventive nutrition and the proper mechanics of the spine.

“We want them to learn to take better care of their bodies, so they’ll perform better with less injuries,” Romano said.

Romano will leave for London sometime next July and will split the Olympic schedule with his partner, Dr. Jennifer Norbits, of Amazing Life Chiropractic, who is the only other local chiropractor to have been selected to go to London.

“I’m looking forward to working with the athletes,” Norbits said. “A lot of their success principles are something we (could) pick up on. It’s amazing to see the principles they live by and their mindset. They have the mindset to (always) push through and they give so much to their own profession. It’s just amazing.”

In addition to helping the athletes, Romano and Norbits, who both have never been to the Olympics or to London, are looking forward to exploring the city’s culture.

“I can’t wait to go,” Norbits said. “I’m just looking forward to getting outside the U.S. and seeing other opportunities that are out there.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].