Bobcat athletic trainer chosen for Olympic medical staff

By Philip Hadley
University News Service
April 3, 2008

Jack Ransone, director of the Athletic Training Program at Texas State University-San Marcos, has been selected to be medical coordinator for the U.S. Track and Field Team during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing China.

Ransone is not a stranger to Olympic competition. In 2004 he served on the medical team during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He said the experience was a fundamental part of his life and career.

“It is an honor to be picked again,” Ransone said. “Athens was the experience of a lifetime, and now I get the chance to do it again.

Ransone will leave on July 28, to assist with the team’s training camp in Dalian, China.

Selections to the Olympic medical staff are very competitive and conducted over a four-year period. Athletic trainers perform two-week volunteer stints at various Olympic training centers around the country. Of the 18,000 athletic trainers who participate in the selection process, 60 are selected to work either the World University Games or the Pan American Games. From this pool, the top 30 are invited to staff the Olympics.

Ransone’s duties will include assisting with early morning practices, administering medical treatments to athletes before and after training and ensuring athletes are properly hydrated and prepared for competition.

Ransone said one of his most favorite aspects of working for the Olympics is having the opportunity to interact with top athletes.

“Working at the Olympics is amazing not only because you get to travel around the world but also because you get to interact with exceptional athletes and coaches,” Ransone said. “Being able to perform on that big of a stage is a life-changing experience.”

Ransone earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Texas State in 1982. He earned his doctorate in exercise physiology at the University of New Mexico. He served as the athletic training program director and athletic trainer for the Oklahoma State University football team before returning to Texas State in the fall of 2003. Ransone has had the opportunity to serve on numerous cross country, indoor and outdoor world track and field championship teams throughout his 20-year career. For more information e-mail ransone@txstate.edu.