They are the only Olympic team members who say that being bored is actually the sign of *** good day at work. I'm talking about Olympic team doctors and doctor Marcy Boston is heading to her second Olympics as the team doctor for USA gymnastics. Doctor f never expected the attention that she got during the Tokyo games, but it was Doctor Boston standing by Simone Bile side as she withdrew from the Olympics for mental health reasons. That moment forever changed. We talk about mental health at the Olympics and in sports in general on this time to ask, how do you become an Olympic team doctor *** day in the life of the Olympic team doc new things. Team USA is doing to balance the physical and mental health of athletes and what it's like hanging out with the rock stars of the women's gymnastics team. Download the audio version of dying to ask the road to Paris on Apple or Spotify or watch my interview with Doctor Marson Boston right here. Well, Marcy, you and I sat in this gym three years ago before you went to the Tokyo Olympics and at the end of the interview you said *** good day at the Olympics. I'll be bored with nothing to do. Nobody need. Yeah, you were not bored. No, no, no, not close to it. So, what was it like to be, you know, first time being *** team doctor and then all of *** sudden somebody who should be on the sidelines, you're on every TV, in the background dealing with what would turn out to be *** real seismic shift in the way we look at athletes and mental health. Um As you look back, what was that experience? Like, you know, I whenever people ask me about the Olympics, I think it was two emotions, it was exhilarating and it was devastating, you know, and there wasn't really *** middle in between. And in the end, I think it really turned out to be exhilarating because all of the girls went home with *** medal, which may not have been possible if things didn't turn out the way that they did. And um everyone was able to finish off their Olympics strongly how they wanted to and they were at least able to accomplish that goal for themselves. And that part made it really exciting and, you know, it's *** privilege and it's *** blessing to be there to help support them and to be trusted by them to, you know, at their times of need to say, how can we best support you? I remember watching everything from here and thinking this is one of those like seismic moments where you think this opened up *** door and things will never be the same again. And I really feel that's what happened. Could you feel that at the time or is it just to, no, I think at that time it was, you know, you're just thinking about the person in front of you and just like I see my patients, the patients I saw today in Clinic, right? The one on one that we're having and how do I help support you and how do I help you achieve the goals that you want and to keep you as safe as possible. And so I think during that time, that was the focus like how do I take care of you and how to we loop in the people that we need to loop in and what are the things we need to do to over these next couple of days or *** week or so and get you to *** place where we can get you back out there and competing. And so during that time, I had no idea. So was becoming *** team doctor *** second time. Was that an automatic? Yes, for you to be the team doctor to continue onward? It, it was *** bit of an automatic. Yes, I've established and myself and my co team physician, Doctor Ellen Casey, who's in New York. We established this relationship with the athletes, with the coaches with their parents with the high performance staff and to be able to continue that as we moved onward, felt like something that was gonna be really exciting and to help, to continue to support the ladies for people who don't know what it is that you do. Can you, I mean, you do *** little bit of everything. Yeah, you do everything from the medical stuff to the big sister stuff to the I see on tiktok, sometimes you do *** little bit of everything. But what are the official responsibilities of an Olympic team doctor? Sure. So when you have your team that's there, whenever we're traveling, we're responsible for the athletes, but we're also responsible for everybody that's part of team USA. So when we travel to the Paris Olympics, all those that are part of USA gymnastics and the women's program, then we're responsible for their medical health, for their medical care, their mental health care and then their musculoskeletal care. So like if they have knee injuries or muscle injuries, anything of that nature, we help to support that. So we're like your primary care doctor and your sports medicine doctor. We're just traveling with you and somebody can need somebody in *** dance video. You can happen with that. If you need some jokes and entertainment, we're there to also help provide that little bit of um what's *** day like at the Olympics? And I know Tokyo was kind of the anomaly because you were still dealing with the pandemic and *** lot of restrictions. But in theory, like, what should *** day look like? The typical day looks like the ladies train twice *** day. So they have *** practice in the morning and then usually after practice. So when we, they're at practice, I'm there with our athletic trainer, our physical therapist. And if there's anything that comes up during practice, then we evaluate them, we make decisions on. Do we need to go to the hospital? Do we need to get an X ray or what do we have to do to make decisions to keep that athlete as safe as possible and make those diagnosis. After practice, we go back and they have recovery where they get treatments, rehabilitation, things of that nature. And then we go back for *** second practice and then we do another practice and then we do rehabilitation afterwards after that practice. And it's *** bit of *** rinse and repeat until competition begins and still on competition days because usually they compete at night, they still have practice in the morning, have rehabilitation and then they go to competition and then usually after competition, they have drug testing for the world anti doping agency. And so sometimes the ladies can be up till 12 in the morning after they do media, press conference, things like that. And then we come back and you do it again and then you do it again. Some of the most watch athletes at the games. What um what do you anticipate will be different going into this Olympics in terms of, I mean, obviously you've always been there to do the physical but also the mental health part, how does that look different now at an Olympics? Knowing everything that we know over the last couple of years, like, is there *** different strategy that teams are going in with to make sure that athletes are good? I think that we have continued to push and to emphasize the physical health and the mental health. Um And we've always known how important that mental health is and especially with elite athletes where they have already trained years and years and hours and hours their physical health is there. And that last piece, I think *** lot of, for *** lot of people is the mental health and making sure that they're well supported, whether we're there to support them or they're seeing their therapists at home or their sports psychologists, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee or the US O PC. They also bring in sports psychologists to come in to help support those athletes. I feel like this leading up to this Olympics. Every athlete that I've interviewed, every single one has about their mental training and their physical training. And usually it's the mental health part of it that they talk about first. That's *** change. It's pretty cool. It's very cool. It's amazing. To see, I think that the way these elite athletes, especially within the Olympics with such visibility around the world and for them to put the emphasis on their mental health, it also allows us in the general population to also put that emphasis on our own mental health and for people to ask for help. How do you set *** tone behind the scenes with elite athletes to lower anxiety or to do check ins like, are there things that, that you guys do just kind of on the normal that maybe some of us would benefit from too? I think for, for some of the athletes who are already seeing their therapists or their sports psychologists, we really try to reemphasize whatever grounding skills that they've learned from them or if they know, you know, this is what helps me make me feel, makes me feel better such as when I sing this song or if I look like I'm really anxious if I'm make sure that I get off my phone or I distract myself by cheering for other athletes, we're just there to help, give them those reminders to help them stay grounded in themselves. And then when they come to you just reminding them they're amazing, right? And they just have to be average and their average is amazing. That's honestly what I call them often and they can do hard things. They can, they've already done it and they can still do hard things your average is amazing. Yeah, it is. I believe it. That's *** great way to put it. I hear you also like to play games. I love playing games. I do sometimes they beat me. Um, but I've been training so I'll let you know how Paris goes with all of our card games. And so when you are just kind of hanging as *** group behind the scenes like that downtime, why is something like as simple as playing games and getting off the phones? Why is that proven to be beneficial for everyone? I think for these athletes, they're normal humans just like the rest of us, although they have this greatness within them, but they also who doesn't love to play games, right? Who doesn't love to be distracted when all they see if they go on their phones, especially with social media is the pressure that is on them to succeed or as we know, not everybody is very kind the negative comments that come to them and no one's immune to that, right? It has to have *** little bit of impact on you. And so if we can put that away and get you distracted and doing things that make you laugh that don't make you think about competition or gymnastics or what you're supposed to do, then that is what we can provide for them. And I think that's beautiful. It's *** great lesson for everyone, isn't it? Yes, I do think so. Because we all need to break away from whatever it is that we're doing and that's part of the self care. Do you notice um since Tokyo *** more openness even with your patients here in terms of talking about the mental health part of their overall health, I do think so. And I think especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mental health was really, really difficult and we saw rising numbers and anxiety, depression, um suicidal thoughts, um deaths by suicide. And it was *** really challenging time. And I think for people to see those that are great, be human and say that they need help, then they felt comfortable to come and ask for help and for us to help find those resources and to allow them to be heard. The uh the women called the recent Olympic trials, the most stressful gymnastics meet they'd ever been to from the doc's perspective was it, it was stressful. You had *** lot of people going down. It was really, it was, it was devastating for those athletes that, you know, you watch them work so hard and overcome so much and for their kind of their dreams to be done and just *** blink of an eye is really hard. And that impact also affects everybody else around them, right? It affects the athletes, it affects the coaches because they feel bad. That's their friend, that's somebody they've trained with, you know, 1015 years. But also then they can see that that could also be my reality too. And that's really scary. Um, and I think we're there to help support them and to help remind them of what it is that they can't control this women's team that you're going with is really interesting. Simone Biles is 27. She'll be the oldest female American gymnast to be an Olympics since the 19 fifties. Ok. She's 27 and better. It's mind boggling to think about. But you have for grown ups and *** teenager on this team. How physically unusual is that? And, and how is that even possible? Like what are they doing now to be able to extend these careers where that was not really something that happened in the past? I mean, I, I think it's amazing. Simone's 27 she's getting better. Jade, I think is 24 Suny and Joe still in their twenties. And then our little hes who's 16 years old and phenomenal in *** phenomenal family. And I think that the older they're getting, they wanna do it for themselves. Um, and they enjoy the gymnastics that they're doing, they enjoy the challenges that it comes with. And I think that mentally they're also growing into themselves, right? They're more aware of themselves as we all grow and that allows them to train smarter, right? Train smarter not harder. It's all about quality versus quantity. And the coaches and the support system around them is really cheering for them to do as best as possible. And I think it's an amazing shift that we're seeing nil that allowed the gymnasts to also go to college gymnastics, then come back and do elite gymnastics. I think it's beautiful and tells you that there is no limit and there is no cap of what *** gymnast is supposed to be, which is exciting really when you think about it and it's around the world too. This is not just in the United States and with *** lot of carryover, I think for other sports too, specifically for women, which is pretty exciting. Very exciting. Yeah. What has been for you? Just on *** personal level? Like the most fun thing about this assignment. The best part is getting to know the athletes, the coaches, the staff. I think it's the relationships that I've been able to build with everybody around, around me and that's part of that organization and I just feel it's such *** blessing to be part of people's journeys and it's *** privilege for people to trust you. Um, and I don't take that lightly and I think if we can do one thing to help support people, then that's what I really enjoy. Your Paris experience will be very, very different. You're gonna have people there, *** lot of people. Yes, that's very different from Tokyo where we just stayed on that hotel floor. Um, based on things you've learned with these athletes. Do you have advice for parents of youth athletes who are in, you know, club sports with regards to managing um not only the physical but the mental part of their kids training like advice that maybe you would pass along for that next generation of athletes who hope to be Olympians someday. I think for the parents, the advice that I typically give them when I see these patients in clinic is to allow your kids to if possible, right? And if you have the means to, to allow them to participate in as many sports as possible so that they can see what they enjoy and they can learn different skills within that. And then really to provide *** space for your child to open up and talk about it and talk about their experience and talk about the hardship and knowing that it will be hard because it's *** life lesson in that, that life isn't always easy and they can overcome those hardships. And I think that for the young kids who, you know, they want to be great yesterday and they see what other people are doing on social media and they already feel behind. I think it's reminding them that, you know, especially of the lead athletes, most of them did multiple sports, most of them are three sport athletes even within the NBA or the NFL. And that now is not the time to be great. Now is the time to be fun and to enjoy yourself and to create those relationships and to build confidence in yourself and that will continue to grow. And your average is pretty amazing and your average is pretty amazing. It's like the best line ever. I love it. I love it. OK. Two more questions. OK. Um I know I have *** to do list going on in my head right now. I've got two weeks before I head out. What's your to do list? Like it's quite long. But um the to do list is to get packed first and foremost, um to get the ladies ready to go and get all their paperwork and getting into the country and you know, working with the US O PC to making sure that we're following all those check boxes and um to make sure that everybody has their support system around them, I think for the athletes, that's probably their biggest thing that helps keep them grounded and to make sure that everybody is ready for this next adventure. What games will you be bringing this time around? I can't remember the name but it's Taco Cat. Oh gosh, I'm gonna get it wrong. It's *** card game. I know my kids have it. Everyone was like, we don't wanna play this. And then the next thing you know, everyone's talking about it that the next part, everybody's playing some talk. You always, my mom says you always have *** deck of cards with you. I love it. I love it. And then last thing I hear you're in Simone Biles, new documentary. Oh, gosh, this is good. That was good. I set myself up. Yeah, you did. So, she's got *** new documentary that's coming out, which is pretty cool. It'll be on Netflix. Um, right before the Olympics, I believe. And you're part of this too. Yeah, it's exciting. Um, I was asked to be interviewed to be *** part of it and it's another blessing and privilege to be able to do that, to help supporter. And I'm sure you've seen the trailer, but she's an incredible human being, you know, outside of being an incredible gymnast. And I think it's exciting for everybody to see all parts of her and what makes her great. Well, I'm sure you did *** very good job. You know why? Because your average is amazing. You have it. All right. I'll see you in Paris. Perfect. I can't wait to see you there. Thanks for listening. You can find our podcast dying to ask the road to Paris, wherever podcasts are found, we're hearing from athletes and experts ahead of the games.