Columbia PT Alumni Update: Connecting Past, Present, and Future

Columbia PT '08 grad Chris Margallo, PT, DPT, SCS has recently been appointed by USA Track and Field to be part of their medical staff for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. As part of Team USA, he will be working long days and nights with the US track and field athletes at both the Olympic village as well as at the Stade de France where most of their events will be held. His duties will largely include manual therapy to keep the athletes healthy and ready for competition so they can bring home a gold medal!

Working at the Olympics as part of Team USA has been a lifelong dream for Dr. Margallo. It wasn't until college when he realized that he could represent Team USA as part of the sports medicine team (often called the “Team behind the Team”). He went back and forth between getting his degree in Athletic Training or moving towards a graduate degree in Physical Therapy. Ultimately, he chose Physical Therapy. In 2005, he was accepted into Columbia's DPT program.

While at Columbia, he did two ortho/sports rotations at renowned sports medicine clinics (Select Physical Therapy at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in LA and Howard Head Sports Medicine at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, CO). He states having the chance to do those rotations are what set the stage for him to springboard into the world of working with pro and elite athletes. The LA clinic had athletes from all major sports, but many were from the NBA. Likewise, the Vail clinic was mostly elite skiers and snowboarders. However, surprisingly there was a large contingent of English Premier League soccer players as well. Dr. Margallo credits Columbia for having an extensive network around the country that was available to him which ultimately allowed him to train at these highly sought after sports medicine clinics.

Shortly after graduating from Columbia, Dr. Margallo began traveling extensively with the US Ski and Snowboard Teams. It wasn't until a few years later when Dr. Margallo started traveling with USA Track and Field. His journey started while doing his first volunteer rotation at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2014. By pure luck, his roommate, also on rotation, was an NBA team physician as well as one of USA Track and Field MDs for the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. Their time together opened the door for Dr. Margallo to begin working with USA Track and Field.

Once Dr. Margallo got involved with USA Track and Field, he quickly worked with them at their Olympic Trials, USA and World Championships, as well as at the 2019 Pan American Games. In 2023 he was selected once again to the Pan American Games, however, this time he was named as USA Track and Field's Medical Lead, meaning he was in charge of the team's entire medical staff and athletes for the event.

The 2024 Summer Olympics will be Dr. Margallo's first Olympic Games. He is honored to represent Columbia University, his fellow Filipino-Americans, his home state of South Dakota, and Team USA on the biggest sporting stage in the world.

Since 2012 Dr. Margallo has owned a private practice on the Upper East Side, Progressive Movement PT and Sports Rehab, with his wife and fellow Columbia PT '08 grad, Ruxandra Bogaciu.

We would like to give a special shoutout to our alumni Tom Romeo from the Class of 1966! Ever since we launched our Alumni Association, Tom has been very vocal about what he hopes to see us accomplish. We have also tried our very best to help him connect with some of his classmates. 

Following a diverse career in public service, Tom Romeo now enjoys a fulfilling retirement alongside his wife, Sharon, in their West Greenwich, Rhode Island residence.