Acupuncturist traveled to Mexico with U.S. archery team

Members of the U.S. archery team traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, last month for the Pan American Championships and a chance to represent the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic games in London.

But they aren't the only ones with London in sight.

Their athletic trainer, Jody Murray of Brookfield, has similar high hopes, saying her dream is to make it to the 2012 games as well.

"I'm very patriotic and I love sporting events," Murray said. "Combining the two things is great."

Murray, the owner and sole practitioner of Acupuncture Therapy, will travel with the team and help them relieve their physical pain and stress.

She traveled with some of the same team members to Shanghai, China, in August for the Archery World Cup. She stayed out on the field with them all day, and after dinner they would come to her room and she would treat them with acupuncture.

"A lot of them have back issues from repeatedly holding the same posture (as they pull the arrows back to shoot them)," Murray said. "Plus stress, traveling, jet lag. I relieved them from whatever they needed."

Murray is one of only a handful of people in the United States who has an athletic training license and acupuncture license. She is the only Olympic athletic trainer with acupuncture credentials, she said.

"Acupuncture is beneficial to Olympic athletes because it has no side effects," Murray said. "They're constantly being tested for drugs, and they won't have to worry about failing. And it relaxes the muscles and promotes tissue healing."

Murray's work is a great step forward for the acupuncture profession, said Jonathan Lavelle, another acupuncturist in Brookfield.

"Sports medicine acupuncture is important because of the extreme stress that the athletes place on their bodies," Lavelle said.

The U.S. team pays for Murray's travel and expenses, but otherwise she does not get paid for her services, and she has to shut down her office while she is gone.

But for her, it's worth it.

"I do it because I love working with athletes and the opportunity to work with the highest caliber of athletes is my gold medal," Murray said.