UPMC doctor to play critical role in Paris caring for Olympic weightlifters

PARIS — A UMPC Doctor will be in Paris for the second week of the Olympics and has a very special role.

Dr. Mark Lavallee is a sports medicine physician with Sports Medicine of Central Pennsylvania – UPMC.

Dr. Lavallee will serve as the Chief Medical Officer for the entire weightlifting venue. This one will be extra special for Dr. Lavallee after he couldn’t attend the 2021 Tokyo Games. First, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then because of his own illness.

“I had the flesh-eating bacteria and spent 28 days in the hospital watching my team compete,” Dr. Lavallee told Channel 11.

In terms of treating the Olympic weightlifters, Dr. Lavallee may be best suited for the job, because he is a weightlifter himself.

“I was more of a swimmer as a kid, and I can tell you I turned 20 and I was overweight,” Dr. Lavallee said. “I had a friend who was a bodybuilder, and I was built more like Mr. Potato Head at the time.”

He became a prolific weightlifter, but not Olympic level. He then turned to medicine, often working with celebrities and athletes he didn’t even recognize, like Allen Iverson, Serena Williams and Pete Sampras.

“I didn’t know who Pete Sampras was, though my wife was deeply in love with the gentleman,” Dr. Lavallee said. “When you’re working with high profile athletes, treat them like you’d treat your mother, brother or sister.”

Being a weightlifter also means he is in a unique position to help in the games.

“Having had weightlifting injuries and muddling through that as an amateur Olympic weightlifter, you understand what it takes to get better,” Dr. Lavallee said.

He says he expects to get emotional if any of the weightlifters from Team USA win gold.

Dr. Lavallee said there’s one thing he’s looking forward to at the games most of all.

“I think what I’m looking forward to is just being able to be part of something much bigger than yourself,” he said.

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