In Southeast Texas, it’s a balmy 70 degrees most days in December, but in many parts of the world the temperatures barely climb close to the freezing mark this time of year. And while most of us would prefer the milder, warmer temperatures, winter sports rely on frigid temps to keep the ice and snow in the perfect condition for competition. And in 2021, much like in years prior, Dr. Todd Riddle unpacks his heavy winter gear for the only time he will use it all year–during winter sports season traveling with elite athletes and providing sports medicine support.
First as a registered kinesiotherapist and sports performance specialist and now as a sports chiropractor, Dr. Riddle has worked with winter sports athletes at the elite level since 2006 where he traveled with his long-time friend, Brock Krietzburg as he competed at the Winter Olympics in Torrino, Italy. After playing football together at Walsh Jesuit High School and then later at The University of Toledo (Kreitzburg was wide receiver and Riddle was quarterback), Dr. Riddle knew the athletic abilities of his teammate and friend well. So when he received a fax from the US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation asking for athletes to attend try-outs, he knew just who to call.
“I like to think of it as the fax that forever changed our lives,” says Riddle. “Brock met all of the requirements they were looking for in speed and strength–we just had to work fast to get him into shape for try-outs.”
And that’s exactly what they did. Over the months leading up to try-outs, Riddle coached Kreitzburg on his nutrition and coached him through a training program to increase his speed, strength and power. When it came time for try-outs he was a shoe-in for the four-man bobsled team and in Torino, Kreitzburg was able to compete with the US Men’s Bobsled four-man team.
But the story doesn’t end there–in 2018, Dr. Riddle had an opportunity to travel to the Winter Olympics again, this time serving as the team chiropractor for the historic Nigerian Women’s Bobsled Team in the Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. While his first experience was a little unconventional, this new opportunity was even more unique.
“A student of mine at Texas Chiropractic College, Seun Adigun, had competed in London at the 2012 Summer Olympics in track and field,” said Riddle. “She was working to put together the country’s first ever Bobsled and Skeleton Federation to compete in the Winter Olympic Game and was surprised when I told her I had experience with bobsled. Her team needed someone to help care for them as they went through training and had the difficult task of learning to push and drive a bobsled and that is how it all began.”
In February of 2018, Sean Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga competed as the first ever Nigerians in the Winter Olympics and the first ever Africans to compete in bobsled at the Winter Olympics and Dr. Riddle was proud to travel with them and serve as their team chiropractor, both during qualification events in the US and in South Korea at the Games.
This year, Dr. Riddle was credentialed by the IBSF (International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation) to treat athletes performing on the world stage yet again as he accompanied the Australian Bobsleigh and Skeleton teams for two weeks in Altenberg and Winterberg, Germany. Dr. Riddle has been providing sports medicine coverage as the Australian athletes competed to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, treating male and female athletes from bobsleigh and skeleton teams at two BMW IBSF World Cup competitions.
Dr. Riddle uses his unique skill sets as a Registered Kinesiotherapist, a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner through the ACBSP (American Chiropractic Board of Sports Practitioners) and as a International Certified Sports Chiropractor through FICS (International Federation of Sports Chiropractic) in treating his athletes. These qualifications along with his experience as a human performance specialist, and his years of experience in working with winter sliding sports allows him to provide the highest level of care for these world-class athletes.
“I feel blessed to be given another opportunity to serve world-class athletes in this capacity,” said Riddle. “I’ve been involved in bobsleigh and skeleton for many years, and I am pleased to bring my experience back to my patients in Seabrook. I look forward to returning to the office and sharing my experience with my patients. It’s been and I look forward to bringing what I’ve learned into the treating my patients.
