In pursuit of gold, Andrew D’Asaro shows his mettle | Article

But a second tear, like the one D’Asaro suffered in training in the fall of 2023, almost always brings down the curtain on an athlete’s glory days. Rehab from a second surgery is about 18 months, and the chances of returning to peak performance are low.

D’Asaro’s father, John, said his son was “heartbroken” when he came home for fall break. But after consulting with doctors in the Philadelphia area, D’Asaro chose to keep competing with the torn ligament.

His parents gave him their blessing, John says, with the understanding, “it’s probably going to hurt like hell.”

“Our advice was do what’s right by you,” his father recalls. “He’s a thoughtful young man, who’s wise beyond his age. We felt comfortable with the care and support he was getting at Denison. His coaches never pressured him to do something he didn’t want to do. We really feel blessed with the experience he’s had at Denison from the professors to the coaches to his teammates.”

D’Asaro, a team captain, practices his javelin throws twice a week. He also runs sprints, does weight training and plyometrics, and performs mobility exercises.

To continue throwing at a high level, D’ Asaro relies on the muscles around the elbow to compensate for the torn ligament. He’s also indebted to the Denison sports medicine staff.

D’Asaro receives cupping therapy in which a local suction is created on the skin using heated cups to increase blood flow and reduce inflammation. He undergoes scraping therapy, a technique used to release muscle tension, break down adhesions, and improve circulation. He takes needling therapy in which thin needles target specific points in muscles to relieve pain and improve movement.

Teammate Chris Slater ’25 admires the mental toughness his good friend has exhibited the past two years to ready himself for meets.

Just weeks after returning to competition, D’Asaro threw a school record 64.07 meters at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic on April 12, 2024. The three-time track and field All-Academic athlete is enjoying a strong senior season and looks to improve on his 15th-place finish at last year’s NCAA meet, a quest he considers “unfinished business.”

A workout warrior who has spent two years as a Denison strength and conditioning intern, D’Asaro can no longer do heavy pullovers as part of his weight training. Even little things like turning a door knob with his left hand can be challenging.

Once his athletic career ends, D’Asaro will consider surgery to repair the damaged ligament. Whether or not his senior season culminates with an NCAA gold medal, he’s proud of his perseverance, which he wears like a badge of honor.

“I’ve learned I can’t put limits or boundaries on myself,” D’Asaro says. “A lot of people thought I was crazy for doing this. Just proving to myself that I could do it will help me going forward when I face other kinds of adversity.”