Olympian, M.D.?

韦德体育app官网的一名学生正在指导韦德体育app官网的标枪运动员，并没有排除自己参加2024年夏季奥运会的可能性.

The reason is simple: Skyler Porcaro, a third-year medical student, 只是热爱这项运动，以及它给他作为一名医科学生带来的一切.

That includes time away from studying, 训练和比赛对身体和精神的积极影响, and the drive to continually best one’s personal record.

Currently a coach for Oakland University’s javelin throwers, 波尔卡罗表示，他并没有放弃在巴黎参加下一届夏季奥运会的计划.

And even if he doesn’t make it, 波尔卡罗说，成功地平衡参加高水平的体育运动和他的学业，将帮助他在短短几年内成为一名更好的医生.

“它教会了我，我可以成为一名好医生，我可以帮助我的病人, 但我也可以有自己的爱好，继续医学以外的教育,他说.

“Medicine is part of who I am, but it’s not the only thing I am.”

‘Doctors told me I wouldn’t play sports’

Porcaro was born in Utah, and at age two, doctors diagnosed him with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a hip condition.

“Doctors told me I wouldn’t play sports,他说. “他们说我长不了这么高，还有其他种种.”

Sports like football and baseball helped him cope, 他说.

When he was about to start 10^th 在高中的时候，波尔卡罗参加了一个垒球比赛. He ended up throwing it from goalpost to goalpost.

“他们把我从棒球场上拉了出来，对我说，‘你现在要去扔标枪了，’”他说. “At the time, I had no clue what it even was.”

The javelin throw is a track and field event. 从本质上讲，标枪是一种长度刚刚超过8英尺的长矛. 投掷者在预定的区域内奔跑，以便在投掷标枪之前获得尽可能远的动力. The men’s gold medal winner at the 2020 Beijing games threw 87.58米.

Almost as he began throwing, Porcaro found success in javelin. He was not only a natural thrower, 他说, 但他也很快学会了喜欢这项运动的冥想方面，以及不断推动自己进步的需要.

“当然, you are competing against other people, 但在一天结束的时候，你是在和自己竞争——你达到了自己的最佳水平，目标就是尽你所能提高自己. I didn’t ever really get that in other sports.”

Porcaro racked up records at local, 区域, and state levels, competed in national meets, and gained attention from college coaches. 高中毕业后，他花了两年时间在教堂传教，然后在南犹他大学重新开始了他的标枪运动员生涯. 

As he did in high school, 波尔卡罗鞭策自己走向成功——没过多久，他就打破了学校的标枪投掷记录. 但在他的第二个赛季，他的肘部韧带撕裂，不得不接受汤米约翰手术.

Still, quitting was never an option.

Porcaro rehabbed and in his senior year, 参加了2019年丰田USATF全国锦标赛，并获得了第16名^th best javelin thrower in the U.S. He qualified for the 2020 Olympic trials.

在开放大学进行试验培训期间(由于COVID最终推迟了一年), 波尔卡罗遇到了学校的田径教练，教练表示有兴趣让他帮助球队的标枪运动员. He agreed and has been doing it since.

In early 2021, Porcaro married his wife, Lacey. 这对夫妇在南犹他大学相识，并在田径项目上是队友. Lacey also helps coach OU’s track team.

然而，同样在2021年初，波尔卡罗的手臂受伤，他参加2021年奥运会的希望破灭了.

Still, they remain in place for the next Olympics.

“我现在正在恢复，计划今年恢复训练和投球, but more so for next year,他说. “It’s a long recovery on the injury.”

If everything goes as planned, 波尔卡罗在2023年的比赛日之后将处于最佳状态. That's exactly when the the Olympic trials will be held for 2024. 

波尔卡罗希望，如果他的奥运野心得以实现，他的住院时间将会灵活多变. 

如果他第三次受伤，波尔卡罗说，他将不得不考虑“也许停止?.”

‘Medicine is…not the only thing I am’

Porcaro says his interests always have varied and balanced. In addition to playing football and being part of the track team, he played cello in the orchestra and took calculus classes.

“在我人生的不同阶段，我有很多朋友和同龄人，他们有着不同的愿望和目标,他说. “That taught me that balance is something that I want in my life.”

这种方法帮助他在准备申请医学院的同时获得了生物学和西班牙语的本科学位. 波尔卡罗说，这也帮助他平衡了在对外商学院的学习和业余爱好.

目前，波尔卡罗正计划申请物理医学和康复方面的住院医师.

“我开始意识到，凭借我的臀部和体育背景，我想进入医学领域的原因是要持续治疗慢性疼痛和康复,他说.

“当我意识到这一点时，我就清楚了，我已经能够在第三年坚持下去……我能够从每次轮换中抽出与我想做的事情相关的东西。.”

Wherever Porcaro ends up, 他说，他坚信自己作为标枪运动员和教练的经历会帮助他成为一名更好的医生.

他说:“标枪让我学会了审视自己，以及如何提高自己。. “这也教会了我在别人的成就中寻找快乐和回报.”