Today we’d like to introduce you to Zack DiCristino.
Hi Zack, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My pursuit of physical therapy as a career was driven by an interest in the healing capabilities of the body and my passion for sports. Growing up, I played football, basketball, baseball, and later skateboarding. I discovered rock climbing in undergrad through a close friend, and like most, I fell in love with it.
Climbing remains my main hobby/sport. I later dabbled in snowboarding, mountain biking, and competed a bit in trail running.I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 1998, and my Master’s of Physical Therapy at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2003.
I started my career at Howard Head Sports Medicine almost literally on the ski slopes in Vail, CO. I was very fortunate to have great mentors, and to be immediately exposed to world-class sports medicine. We worked with the renowned Steadman Clinic, which attracted some of the world’s best athletes. I worked my way to become the co-lead physical therapist for the rehabilitation teams of several of their physicians.
This experience landed me at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics, where I assisted in the development of their first orthopedic-outpatient physical therapy department. I was later recruited to work at Stanford University Athletics Department, where we worked exclusively with the Division-I athletes from 36 different teams. I served as the lead therapist for the Stanford Football and Cross Country/Track and Field Teams for two years each. Hands down, working with one of the most successful collegiate athletic programs alongside a world-class sports medicine staff was one of the most impactful experiences I could have asked for.
I took this experience and foundation of knowledge and applied it to climbers, which was a natural marriage of interests. I began working with professional and recreational climbers in 2007, and with the USA Climbing youth and adult teams in 2016. Due to the vision of the CEO of the USA Climbing at that time and my colleagues, we became the first medical personnel dedicated to the USA Climbing Teams. Having a team physical therapist became commonplace for other national climbing teams as the value of their roles became recognized. When I became involved in 2016, there were maybe one or two teams that had their own physical therapists travel with them.
Now, nearly all national teams have one or two physical therapists accompanying them. In 2020, USA Climbing approved a full-time team physical therapist/medical manager position due to the support of the athletes, board of directors, and USA Climbing committees. This role has now allowed national-team athletes to have access to physical therapy services at no cost both in Salt Lake City, where our training center is located, and when we travel to international competitions.
This allows athletes to have immediate access to me, which I believe is invaluable. Sport climbing made its debut as an Olympic sport in the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics. This has brought a bit more attention to the sport, which has led to more support for our team.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would hesitate to call my experience a struggle, but I would agree that great things are not achieved quickly and easily. My “success” certainly could not have happened without an upbringing that instilled a strong work ethic, parents that exposed me to many possibilities and opportunities, or friends who helped me develop a sense of respect and emotional intelligence, but also reminded me to have fun once in a while!
Without these things, I am certain it would have been much harder, and maybe, unattainable. For me, having a sense of purpose and having “projects” are the driving internal factors.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I provide physical therapy services for the USA Climbing National Team members. This entails assessing athletes for recent injuries but to also screening them for predisposing factors that may lead to injury. I develop rehabilitation, injury- prevention as well as training programs for some of the athletes.
As the staff medical manager, I serve as the liaison to our medical committee. We work together to tackle matters such as athlete wellness (e.g. nutrition, eating disorders/disordered eating, preseason physicals for sports participation, COVID-19 safety protocols for our team and events we may organize, etc). I also arrange medical services for our athletes with our medical partners.
I am most proud that I have earned the trust of our organization, athletes, and respect among the climbing-medicine community. Whether it was me or someone else, it is a privilege to be part of the development of medical support for this great team and sport.
I am not sure it sets me apart, but my philosophy has been to do just do the work, speak through action without regard to personal fame. One of the professors told me that I have “quiet strength”. in retrospect, it was a great compliment.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I have taken many calculated risks, for sure. I have left a couple of positions that offered financial security in great locations but they were not fulfilling or I outgrew them. I didn’t know it at the time when I was younger, but taking a risk career-wise was sparked by being in a situation that stifled my potential.
I later learned that projects are what keep me engaged. Doing repetitive, mundane tasks day in and day out are what cause me to burn out. I think that compulsion to leave those limiting situations in pursuit of having an impactful purpose has been a trend in my career. I think the confidence I gained in my skills and reputation made it easier to take those risks.
I also tend to be a cautiously optimistic person.
Contact Info:
- Email: zgdicristino@gmail.com
- Instagram: @zgdicristino
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zack.dicristino
- Other: usaclimbing.org
Image Credits
Jesse Talley, Daniel Gadja, and Cody Kaemmerlen
