The McDonough County Voice

Macomb, Ill. — A Macomb Bomber has taken off for London for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Dr. Chris Herrera and his wife Janine currently live in Miami, Fla. Chris is the son of Manny and Lynn Herrera, of Macomb.

Herrera said he grew up playing basketball in Macomb, eventually going on to play basketball at Eastern Illinois University and had the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament against Arizona.  He was a two-year member of the Panthers squad starting 18 games as a senior in 2002.

He is now a doctor of physical therapy and owns several clinics in the Ft. Lauderdale and Miami area in Florida. He is also the head strength and conditioning coach and physical therapist for the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. In addition to sports strength and conditioning, Herrera double duties as the team physical therapist, treating athlete injuries and using preventative care to prevent injuries before they occur.

After finishing his doctorate at the University of Miami, Herrera has worked with the Olympic Sailing Team for six years and has been in his current position for four years.

Herrera said he initially began with one athlete, who rose from a 40th world rank to win a silver medal in the last set of Summer Olympic Games. According to Herrera, there are a lot of logistics that go into coordinating a team and keeping the team members healthy, as the athletes are scattered across the United States and across the world when competing. Herrera said he travels around the world with the team when they are competing in order to provide his physical training and strength and conditioning services.

The sport of sailing, which Herrera described as an “old boys sport”, is rich in history and tradition, though the culture of the sport today is extremely different than it was 60 years ago.

Herrera said previously, there was no strength and conditioning involved at all, though this changed during the last Olympic games, as faster and younger boats were introduced into the sport. The age group of the participants has changed, moving toward a younger group of competitors, and the sport has become more athletic, overall. Sailing has also become more of a spectator sport over the years, with more changes expected for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Herrera said currently, the athletes he works with train like they would for any other sport, working with a performance enhancement team. In addition to the physical aspect, Herrera said the sport is very technical, with training regimens designed to balance weight and wind.

“It depends on where the games are held,” Herrera said.

Herrera described this year's group of athletes, who will be sailing in this year's Olympic Games, is a very tight knit group, who train and share information with each other, even if they happen to be sailing in different boats.  Herrera also described his work with the olympic team as “an unbelievable learning experience”.

“We've put together a great team,” Herrera said. “I think we have a great shot at quite a few medals this year.”

Herrera said he will be participating in the closing ceremonies at the conclusion of the games this August.