Center of Excellence is aiming to make a difference

PARK CITY — Marco Sullivan finished his workout and then made his way through the barbells and treadmills to an area not found in most gyms.

The 29-year-old downhill skier has the luxury of working out at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's newly opened Center of Excellence, which combines good, old-fashioned workouts with exercise science, sports medicine and health and nutrition. From a custom kitchen, complete with classes taught by a chef, to rehabilitative facilities, the Center of Excellence is unlike anything these athletes have ever enjoyed.

Sullivan, a member of the U.S. men's Alpine Ski Team, made his way to the medical section to soak in a cold whirlpool.

"Because I am spent," he said laughing. "The recovery area is probably the coolest part (of the new facility). Having it at the same site where you work out helps keep your body fresh and keeps those nagging injuries from becoming a bigger issue."

In fact, he said, he's likely to follow the advice of doctors, trainers and coaches more closely now that nearly everything he needs is located under the same roof.

"If you have to go into a clinic in town, you might not go," he said.

The Center of Excellence is an idea conceived more than a decade ago as coaches and U.S. Ski Team officials tried to decide what might make the difference for winter sport athletes.

"We asked ourselves what would make the difference for us?" said Tom Kelly, vice president of communications for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. "What would make us more successful? The answer was sports science and all that entails."

After consulting experts, officials started raising money.

"We really had no idea what it would take," said Kelly.

Original estimates of $10 million have mushroomed into $60 million. All of the money was raised through private donations and there is now an endowment that will maintain the facility, which will be open to the public from noon to 2 p.m. on July 17. There will be tours for the public and athletes also will be on hand to sign autographs.

"The real key is that everything our athletes do now is measured," Kelly said. "Now we'll have a continuous physiological data on each athlete that will help us build strength and conditioning programs that are more specifically suited to the individual athletes and their sports."

Winter sports are extremely diverse and increasingly complex. What a cross-country athlete needs, a freestyle skier may not.

In addition to customized workouts, the athletes also have classes with chefs that teach them how to prepare nutritious meals that will only enhance their fitness.