Memorial Hermann and World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) have announced a unique collaboration for the benefit of athletes of all ages and abilities – with the establishment of the Ironman Sports Medicine Institute at Memorial Hermann.
“Memorial Hermann is the leading authority on sports medicine and is an ideal partner for WTC because of its ability to provide top-notch clinical care, customized treatment plans and revolutionary performance testing and improvement services for athletes in all sports who aspire to compete at their highest level,” said Ben Fertic, President and CEO of WTC.
Memorial Hermann CEO Dan Wolterman commented on the natural synergy of the two organisations: “Memorial Hermann and WTC share a common goal to provide athletes with the tools they need to realize their dreams.
“The sports medicine institute is already well known for its clinical programs. This new partnership will separate us from our competitors in the area of sports performance, because of the science-based services we will provide.”
Walt Lowe, M.D., Medical Director of the Ironman Sports Medicine Institute and Chairman of the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UTHealth, added “Our clinical expertise coupled with their extensive knowledge of endurance training and recovery will enhance our ability to not only help injured athletes in sports like track and field, basketball and football return to their sport faster, but also help strong athletes become even stronger.”
The two organisations first came together last year with the introduction of the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston. On May 21 in The Woodlands, they will present the state’s first full-distance Ironman event, Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas.
The new Ironman Sports Medicine Institute collaboration will enable Memorial Hermann to expand its current offerings to include cross-sport research to improve athletic performance and recovery and reduce injuries.
New research protocols will examine endurance athletes to determine how their preparation and training regimens can benefit athletes in all sports, including football, soccer and baseball. For example, the Institute has cited areas it might examine:
- Techniques that will better help junior and high school athletes to hydrate during August football two-a-days in southeast Texas
- How endurance athlete core strength training can reduce injuries in cheerleaders/gymnasts
- Recovery strategies that can help pitchers recuperate faster and reduce youth arm injuries
- How endurance athlete cross-training can improve the strength of soccer players’ legs to reduce ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears
Newly bundled services will also be added to the current roster of performance testing and improvement services. Among the Institute’s newest offerings are triathlete performance improvement evaluation packages that apply techniques to help beginner to advanced triathletes train more effectively.
“WTC has a history of aligning with worldwide ‘best-in-class’ organisations like Ford, Timex, PowerBar and K-Swiss,” said Craig Funk, COO of Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. “We are honoured to partner with WTC and Ironman, the number 1 user-based sports brand in the world.”
The announcement of the partnership coincides with the inaugural Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas, one of nearly 30 Ironman events worldwide, which will take place in The Woodlands on May 21, 2011.
The swim will be in Lake Woodlands and the bike course will lead participants through the scenic, rolling farmland of east Texas, finishing with a run entirely within The Woodlands. Offering a professional prize purse of US$100,000, the race also will award a total of 65 age group slots for the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, on 8 October 2011.
