Orange Native Jim Ronai Begins Olympic Journey In Tokyo

ORANGE, CT — Lending his physical therapy skills and expertise to an Olympic Games is nothing new for Jim Ronai, but doing so during the summer is a first.

As the Tokyo 2020 Games officially kicked off on Friday, Ronai — an Orange native who owns and operates Competitive Edge Sports Performance Center — will continue his work with USA Baseball, which is seeking its third gold medal and its first since 2000.

Ronai is working as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer. Ronai was appointed to the position by the U.S. Olympic Committee and will work with a team managed by former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia and that includes a handful of former Major Leaguers.

The U.S. team plays its first game on July 30 against Israel.

Ronai told The New Haven Register that his job working with the team will be a difficult one as it relates to getting to know the habits of 24 players in such a short time. He said that some of his methods are non-negotiable while others aren’t as strict, which will require a balancing act with the U.S. roster.

Despite the challenges, however, USA Baseball Executive Director Paul Seiler called Ronai a perfect fit for the job.

“He is high-energy, relates well to elite-level athletes and staff, and his approach to preparing players for intense competition is a win for our team,” Seiler said in a news release announcing Ronai’s appointment.

Ronai previously worked with Olympic bobsled teams in Salt Lake City in 2002 and in Turin, Italy, in 2006. The Summer Olympics assignment comes as a busy team for Ronai, who also works on the training staff for the Yale football team. But given the opportunity to work his first Summer Games, the chance was too good to pass up, he told the New Haven Register.

“You get the opportunity of a lifetime, but there is so much going on,” Ronai told the newspaper. “We are coming off the pandemic, we are getting off the ground with the business, and there is the question of who is going to take care of training the teams? It is a busy time of year.”

Despite Olympic officials in Tokyo taking precautions against the coronavirus – including not allowing fans into venues to watch the Games, several U.S. athletes have tested positive for COVID-19.

Ronai told Fox 61 that he feels safe since he has been fully vaccinated and that he will spend most of his time inside the Olympic bubble. But he said he will take precautions of his own, including wearing a mask.

He said that he will be tested twice within his first 96 hours in Tokyo, but also understands the need to understand the differences between what is happening in the U.S. and Japan.

“Things are different there,” Ronai told The New Haven Register. “As much as we have evolved, Japan is behind us. Japan is back to wearing masks and is social distancing. That is a different state of mind I will need to be in.”

Despite being so far from home, his roots in Orange won't ever be far from the front of his mind. Ronai has remained in Orange for his entire life with the exception of when he left for school, but said that the chance to represent both his hometown and his country is something he doesn't take for granted.

"(Orange is) really nice to represent, and I’m really proud of the United States of America," Ronai told Fox 61. "...It’s such a great place, and they do such a great job in the community, and it’s nice to be a part of that and give back a little bit."