Near the end...

My name is Jake Billadeau, Strength and Conditioning intern at the Colorado Springs OTC. I have made my way here from a place far far away which is known as Fort Collins, Colorado. This internship is the final component to my undergraduate degree at Colorado State University (We’re the Rams, not the Buffs). Although it would have been nice to venture away from Colorado for a semester, I honestly could not imagine a better place to finish my education. I say this not only because of the ridiculous amount that I have learned from the OTC strength staff, but the people that I have met, and the things that I have done.

The Strength and Conditioning department’s mission is to support United States Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and preserve the Olympic ideals, and thereby inspire all Americans. Therefore, my duty is to create an environment that provides an athlete with the opportunity to achieve optimal physical athleticism. My responsibilities here are to help the athletes and to assist the support staff. Each day has been an opportunity to assist with program design and implementation, lifting technique, spotting, etc. I was told that the knowledge and ability that I will walk away with after this experience will be based on what I put into it. That being said, I made sure to do all that I could that will further prepare me for career with athletes.

I have met some amazing people during my time in Colorado Springs as well. My co-workers are incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about their work, and fun to be around. The athletes that I work with are some of the hardest working, self-motivated individuals that I have ever had the privilege of working with. The other USOC interns are the people that I spend majority of my free time with. Living amongst all the USOC interns has been comparable to my freshman year of college, except more enjoyable. It’s hard to think that we have done all that we have while working full time. So far we have hiked Pike’s Peak, traveled to Denver and Breckenridge, regularly embrace downtown Colorado Springs with our presence, and I have recently returned from a nice, relaxing, and quiet trip to Las Vegas (To name a few anyway). Being around one another for as long as we have has created friendships that I am sure will continue to last after we finish here at the USOC.

I could not imagine a better place to finish my college career, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to do what I am doing with the people that I am with…except Andy. DE DERP DER DERBS!

Jake