When Stan Grod began practicing massage therapy in 1970, he never thought his career path would take him to the Olympic Games–twice.
Grod traveled from Los Angeles to Athens to join a sanctioned team of nearly 120 massage therapists from throughout the world who will provide their services to Olympic athletes.
During the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Grod organized a group of sports therapists, marking the first time massage had been available to competitors.
Now he can’t believe he’s on his way again to the world’s biggest sporting event.
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“It’s like being chosen out of your entire field to go to the Olympics,” said Grod, owner of Massage Masters Therapy Center in Sherman Oaks, Calif. “Tens of thousands of people are doing massage and sports massage, and you’re one of 100 people chosen in the world to go.”
To offer his services, Grod applied with the Athens Health Services Sports Massage Team, sanctioned by the Games’ local organizing body in Greece.
Former Olympic kayaker Julie Leach, who recently received a massage from Grod, said such therapy is vital to athletes, soothing aches and relieving stress. “He’s part of the team like anyone else,” Leach said of Grod.
“It takes a lot of time and effort to do that so the U.S. [athletes] can perform to the best of their capabilities.”