American Chiropractor David Pascal Helps Athletes in Rio

I've known David Pascal for 40 years. He is now a Chiropractor focusing on sports medicine and neurologic injuries.

David attended University High School in West LA, where he was the individual City Champion in Cross Country in 1975, and where I met him. After high school, he went to UCLA and then studied Chiropractic medicine. He is the Director at the Health Institute of North Carolina.

Katinka Van Der Merwe say: "David Pascal changed my life five years ago. Meeting him showed me a different world in practice...a world where those whom the medical profession has given up on can get their lives back and where miracles are possible. He is one of the most ethical and talented doctors I have ever met. I am so proud of his work and very blessed to call him a friend."

Dave is down in Rio de Janeiro tonight, helping our athletes perform their best at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He's too busy for an interview, but the following are a few posts, and photos, courtesy of Dave's Facebook page. What follows are Dave's observations about Rio and the Olympics:

1. Okay I'm tuning up for Rio. Flight into Miami lands 90 minutes late. Ran from far end terminal D, out of security, kept running to far side of airport to terminal J, back through security (40 min line, asked each person and all let me ahead), then kept running to far end of that terminal. Walked on plane and doors are closing. Check In said my bags were already on plane (glad I asked for priority baggage check). Totally soaked in sweat now. Good thing I get to check into my room in Rio in only 20 more hours.‪#‎Old1500mRunnersGotItWhenWeNeedIt‬.#2:00PM check in.

3. Day One landed 6am. Baggage lost in transit. Went directly to the U.S.team training site at Escola Naval base. Treated athletes. Took team bus to Olympic village. Met up with another of my athletes and drove out to Nike hospitality in her country's embassy car. Uber back to the ship. Then out to the airport again to find my bags. Back to the ship.- in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

4. At an Olympic Games or World Championships every day you must expect to walk miles and miles, sit in buses or taxis for few hours, wait and wait, work harder then you ever dreamed, and have the time of your life! - with Lashawn Merritt at Escola Naval do Rio de Janeiro Brasil.

5. Day 2: Still no luggage. Went to Naval base for team training. Worked on my group 9-1. Back to Ship. No bags. Out to airport. Found my suitcase and chiropractic table. Back to ship. Ship had to clear my bags, so took out change of clothes and my table and equipment and went back to the U.S. practice track. Treated 6-8, then back to ship. Unpacked, sorted, organized, then dinner and explored the ship.

6. Olympic Village. Day 3: Spent all day at the U.S. team training track treating, treating, treating. One of my athletes had to stay late for extra care so we took Uber back to the Village. Treated couple more Olympians, finishing there at 11:30. Hope to get back to my room on the ship by 1:00 AM.

7. August 11: On Copacobana Beach treating English Gardner. Now off to Nike House Just finished treating my youngest Olympian Sydney McLaughlin, 400m Hurdler.

8. Day 4: Morning at.the track, then 90 minutes across Rio to Nike. Drove past Copacaba and Ipanema beaches on a stunning coast road. Nike House is on the beautiful Itanhanga Golf Course. Truly remarkable. Ate great food, gave some treatments and... got a completely new hair cut. 30 years of short, short hair. Then a year of long long hair. And now an Olympic cut.

10. Tomorrow the Track and Field portion of the Olympic Games begin. I have Women's 100m heat: Tori Bowie & English Gardner. Men's 400m heat: LaShawn Merritt & Gil Roberts. Good night all. Now blessed to be at my fifth Olympic Games, as well as nine World Championships.

11. Day 5: All over Rio. Morning one hour to U.S.A. training track at Escola Naval base., then 45 minutes to Ipanema Beach to treat some more. An hour over to Nike house at Itanhanga Golf Course for more treating and great food. Hop in a cab and 90 minutes back to the training track for my last two athletes of the day. One last hour back near the ship and 20 minute walk from drop off to my room.

12. August 12 If you are following the athletes that I work with today the Track & Field portion of the Olympic Games begin with the Women's 100m heat: Tori Bowie & English Gardner. Men's 400m heat: LaShawn Merritt & Gil Roberts.

13. Day 6: Another long one. Out to the Training track on Escola Naval base. Then back to the ship to repack equipment. Then out.to the Olympic Stadium for the first time. LaShawn Merritt and Gil Roberts had their first heats in the 400m. English Gardner and Tori Bowie had their heats in the 100m. By the time their races and post race care was done we were walking out of the stadium at 12:15. Through a long series of mishaps I am just finishing dinner at 2:50 AM. I have to be up at 6:30 to get back out to the stadium for tomorrow's races. I hope to get a solid three hours of sleep.

14. Team treatment tents on warm up track next to the Olympic stadium. U.S. team last off the track at 12:15 AM.

Dr. David Pascal's practice focuses on severe neurologic injuries; stroke, spinal cord tumor, quadrapeligic, paraplegic. He uses a special treatment with lasers that helps these patients walk again, and in some cases, even see again.