His thoughts transported him back to another place and to another time: It was 1972 and the site was Munich, Germany. He was competing as a member of the United States Olympic cycling team. It was an exciting time: to represent your country at the Olympic Games was the ultimate in international sporting competition. He'd been proud to finish in 11th position, and rightly so. Although the television sports announcers droned on incessantly about which athlete got the gold, the silver, and the bronze, Jeffrey Spencer knew that being a participant in the games was the most important thing.
As Jeffrey prepared to give his speech now, 12 years later, he reflected on his Olympic memories. He knew the emotions that the athletes here in Los Angeles were feeling. His Olympic experience had been one of the most profound experiences of his life. He had come from a welfare family that didn't have the means to buy the cycling equipment necessary to pursue his dream. Without the support of people who cared for him and believed in his ability, he would never have had the opportunity to make the Olympic team, and he wouldn't be standing on this dais now at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Velodrome.
After the 1972 Olympics, Jeffrey Spencer returned state-side to win the California State Cycling Championships.
Knowing that the competitive career of a cyclist is short, Jeffrey turned his energies towards getting his education, matriculating at the University of Southern California where he received an M.A. in physical education in 1975.
After leaving USC, Jeffrey Spencer worked as an educational therapist and health education instructor. His interest in sports and physical fitness led him naturally into the realm of fitness training. He became a fitness consultant in 1980 to the American Honda racing team (motocross). He has since helped train such diverse athletes as Mark Gorski, 1984 Olympic sprint cycling gold medalist; Leonard Nitz, 1984 Olympic cycling pursuit silver and bronze medalist; Matt Young, pitcher for the Seattle Mariners (1983 all-star team); Jeff Matiasevich 1989 125cc national supercross champion; Jeff Ward, an international and national motocross champion; Al Unser, Jr., Indianapolis 500 stock car driver and many others too numerous to list.
In 1988 Jeffrey Spencer became a D.C., graduating summa cum laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College of Los Angeles. Dr. Spencer says, "I originally became interested in chiropractic because as a training consultant to many professional athletes, being injured was a way of life for them; I felt I needed to know more about health management to provide a better service to them."
Dr. Spencer draws an analogy between his hobby of glass blowing/ glass sculpturing and his career move into chiropractic: "Chiropractic was my choice because of my background in art; I liked working with my hands and because it (chiropractic) deals with a non-invasive, drugless, first-line defense for a multitude of conditions; true correction and wellness can be achieved and maintained without compromise." Dr. Spencer's art work may be viewed at the Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles; Laguna Beach Art Museum; La Jolla Art Museum; Zantman Gallery, Carmel; and Glass Gallery, Bethesda, Maryland.
Dr. Spencer has been in chiropractic practice two years; it's a joint practice with full x-ray facilities, two exam rooms, six treatment rooms and three physical therapy bays. His practice provides family chiropractic, sports medicine, and wellness care. Spinal care classes are held weekly. Dr. Spencer says he uses a "variety of techniques, depending on what I feel the patients' needs are. My goals in care are to first control pain and inflammation, then restore normal function in terms of flexibility, coupled muscle-joint interaction, biomechanics, and strength. All my patients are active participants in their care. They are given home exercises and activity of daily living instructions as part of their care."
Dr. Spencer is currently a monthly columnist for Mountain Bike Action magazine. In his busy schedule Dr. Spencer has found time to author 150 articles that have appeared in Sports Fitness, Cyclist, Motocross Action, Montain Bike Action, Bicycle Rider, Personal Watercraft, BMX Action, and Dirt Bike. He is also the author of two books: Total Training for Motocross; and Total Taping.
When confronted with his busy schedule Dr. Spencer quips, "My biggest complaint is that there's not ten of me to do all the things I like to do as well as I want."
When asked what his goals are, Dr.Spencer replied he would continue to work in his practice and provide quality care to his patients. "I would like to write a few more books and do some lecturing on exercise physiology and sports conditioning and its role in injury prevention and management."
Dr. Spencer characterizes himself as "a doer, always looking for new and innovative ways of doing things. If I've got time to watch a ball game, I'll be doing something instead."
Steve Kelly
Assitant Editor