Scholarship

ISCA OLYMPIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM with the WOA

Since the establishment of the World Olympians Association Office of the Americas (WOA) in Miami in the year 2001, it was always the focus of the office to look for different opportunities, academic and job-related among others, to support its members.  When Dr Tom Hyde met with the Secretary General of the WOA and Mr. Jose Rodriguez in Miami, Florida in 2002, he advised Tom that the WOA needed 3 things for their members….1. Education, 2. Chiropractic Care around the world and 3. Event coverage by Sports Chiropractors. Out of this meeting with the WOA, the Olympian Scholarship Program was born. Now with the support of the International Sports Chiropractic Association (ISCA), the Olympian Scholarship Program has become one of the most successful programs implemented.  The Olympian Scholarship Program helps Olympic Athletes from anywhere in the world to access academic scholarships in the area of chiropractic medicine.  The program has the support of several universities in the United States, Canada, England, and Mexico.  Currently, there continues to be discussion with other chiropractic institutions around the globe in an attempt to establish like relationships like those currently in force.  The main focus of the Olympian Scholarship Program is to provide Olympians an opportunity to obtain an academic education and expertise that few ever have the opportunity to obtain in their countries.  This provides them with an opportunity to return to their own communities and help by providing chiropractic care.  Upon completion of their academic training, they are rewarded with a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine.

As one of the mentor universities states very clearly: “Chiropractic is about helping people live healthier, fuller lives.  Chiropractors focus on the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems, by providing manual adjustments to the spine and extremities as well as the soft tissues in an attempt to influence the nervous system.

The Olympian Scholarship Program covers all the tuition expenses for the duration of the program; Olympians will need to cover their own room, board and any additional miscellaneous expenses.  Most of the universities allow Olympians to work/tutor inside their campuses to overcome the expenses they might incur during their educational training.

In order to qualify for the scholarship, the Olympians need to meet certain academic pre-requisites as stipulated by the academic institution of their preference.  Once such pre-requisites are met and the Olympian is accepted into the chiropractic program, the scholarship remains active until the completion of the studies.  Of course, the Olympians, as every other student, need to stay academically eligible throughout the course of his/her studies.

Through ISCA and one of the universities offering the scholarships more than US$100,000 in medical equipment was donated and used during competition by the sports federations.  Many athletes participated in these Games and received excellent care from a multidisciplinary medical staff that included chiropractors.

Scholarship Programs

Note:

• Although some of the academic institutions only offer scholarships per academic year, others offer as many opportunities as there are Olympians interested in taking on the challenge. Olympians from the USA (Morgan Hamm), Jamaica (Neil Gardner), Canada (Lyndsay Alcock), Peru (Hugo Munoz), and other countries not only in the Americas but worldwide have been accepted into their respective programs or will be attending school soon. Additionally, there are several Olympians working on meeting the pre-requisites they need to gain access to the scholarship program.

• The cost in value of the scholarship program well exceeds US$100,000; however, the value of education and expertise these Olympians are acquiring is priceless. With the number of schools offering scholarships in this program, over $1,000,000 dollars worth of sponsorship are available!

• ISCA, through its representatives in the United States, and with the support of the Office of the Americas (OAS), directly participated in several of the most important sporting events in the Americas by sending chiropractic doctors to treat participants. Some of these events as shown above, included the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador, 2005 Bolivarian Games in Colombia, the 2007 Central American and the Caribbean Games in Colombia, as well as the Pan American Games in Brazil. Their expertise allowed participating athletes to obtain additional medical attention while in competition. Also, several delegations asked for a chiropractic team to be part of their medical contingency. The ISCA and one of the involved universities also donated more than US$100,000 in medical equipment to be used by the sports federations while their athletes participated at the sporting events in the Olympic cycle.

Please contact Dr. Tom Hyde for more details at thyde444@bellsouth.net.