When the Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 4 in Beijing, China, the University of North Texas will be represented by a member of the Division of Student Affairs staff. Ronni Little, a massage therapist for the Student Health and Wellness Center, will be traveling to Beijing to be a massage therapist for Team USA during the Winter Games.

This isn’t Little’s first Olympics. She traveled to Tokyo, Japan last summer for the rescheduled 2020 Olympic games.

“I was very fortunate to have been chosen after a four-month- long interview process to work at the Olympic Training Center where Team USA trains,” said Little. “I’ve been a Medical Massage Therapist for over 20 years, so my experience helped me obtain the highly desirable position every other massage therapist in the world would love to have.”

Little starts her journey to Beijing in late January to get ready for this year’s Olympic games. She’ll travel first to Los Angeles where she will go through all of Team USA safety protocols, media training, cultural behavior, and Covid monitoring before heading to China.

Once Little arrives in Beijing, she’ll check into the Team USA house located in the Olympic Village.

“The amount of equipment that sports medicine ships over to the host country is truly mind- blowing,” said Little. “We ship everything we need, from medications, medical equipment, treadmills, cold plunge baths to the small things like trash bags.  I’ll help set up the Sports Medicine facility, as well as assist any athlete that’s already in house early.”

Once the games start, Little will work everyday for 10 to 12 hours, helping perform at their best.

“It’s pretty casual in sports medicine. These are not your typical massages; I only address an issue that’s causing problems for the athlete,” she added. “We work in a safe sport environment, so everything is done out in the open where all chiropractors and masseuse work in the same big room.”

With this being Ronni Little’s second Olympics, she is looking forward to the games fewer nerves compared to her first time around.

“There are no words to accurately describe the vibe and excitement of staying in the Olympic Village with the top athletes in the world,”, said Little.