Two Seattle doctors play a key role at Paris Olympics @UWMedicineHealth

Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

Many young athletes daydream about one day competing in the Olympics, and this was certainly true for Brian Krabak and Monique Burton. Although they never realized those competitive dreams, the two will join Team USA in another way that’s almost as satisfying: as team physicians at the 2024 Summer Games.

Krabak is one of two physicians who will care for the swim team, and Burton is one of two assigned to track and field. They are teammates, as well, at UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital, where they often tend to sports-related injuries.

Opening ceremonies are July 26. The spotlight will be strong as ever among competitors in swimming and track and field. These are among the most popular and visible international sports, with competitions often decided by hundredths of a second.

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$One spark can cause lasting harm this July Fourth The Fourth of July is a time for celebration, but it can quickly turn tragic. Every year, Harborview Medical Center sees approximately 55 people hurt by fireworks during the holiday. “Were going to see a lot of people who completely changed their lives because they made one simple, bad decision and now either theyve lost a hand, theyve lost their eyes, theyve lost another appendage, or worse,” said Dr. Arvin Akhavan, an emergency medicine physician at UW Medicine. “Fireworks are powerful explosives that can cause devastating damage to hands and other parts of the body in a split second,” said Dr. Chelsea Boe, an orthopedic surgeon at UW Medicine. She added that these types of injuries can change your life. “The injuries themselves are blast injuries,” Boe said. “So, its a huge amount of force that tends to have an explosive impact on the hand. So, they cause fractures, dislocations, which means that the bones come out of joint, they come out of place.” Boe says the safest thing you can do is to stay away from personal fireworks. She recommends going to watch a professional fireworks display instead. And if you do light fireworks, do so from a safe distance and don’t light them in your hands.$