Wisconsin Health Specialist Serving as Olympics Trainer

With less than three days until the start of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, more than Olympic athletes are preparing to perform on the world’s stage.

A recent story from WMTV NBC-15 in Wisconsin highlighted a University of Wisconsin health exercise specialist who’s serving as Team USA’s athletic trainer in the bobsled and skeleton events.

Below is an excerpt from that WMTV NBC-15 story.

For the past six years, Andrew Ernst has worked as the Athletic Trainer for Team USA Bobsled and Skeleton. Ernst is originally from Neenah and this past year he and his wife moved back to Wisconsin from Lake Placid, making his work with Team USA remote.

“It’s been new and challenging,” Ernst said. “But I think overall we’ve made it work very well.”

When Ernst travels with Team USA to Beijing, he said his responsibilities will vary dependent on the day.

“When we’re on the ground it’s basically you do treatments in the mornings,” Ernst said. “You go to all their practices and trainings and you’re helping sometimes with technique if the other coaches aren’t available. Sometimes I help move sleds, it’s kind of whatever we need to do to get the job done.”

While the focus of the Beijing Olympics is typically the athletes and their success, Ernst said he’s more than happy to be behind the scenes.

“I’m perfectly fine being completely in the background,” Ernst said. “It’s their stage, I want to help them do as best as they can at the games. Working with the athletes they’re an amazing bunch of people. They’re so driven and hardworking it’s an honor to work with them and the staff every day.”

To read the full story from WMTV NBC-15 about Wisconsin’s health exercise specialist getting his Olympic moment, click here.