Meet Karyn Marshall

Weightlifting World Champion. Registered nurse. CrossFit Games Masters finalist. Breast cancer survivor. Doctor of chiropractic. NYCC alumna. Holding many titles in her life, Karyn Marshall D.C. ’93 enjoys introducing people to the “secret weapon” that has assisted her success. Chiropractic care is a constant Marshall has turned to, both mentally and physically, during many defining moments. It helped her compete as a world-class athlete and also played a role in her recovery when going through chemotherapy. Dr. Marshall calls chiropractic care the “ultimate mind-body treatment.”

A world-class athlete

When Marshall came to New York Chiropractic College in 1990, she was breaking stereotypes and opening doors for women. She had already won two national weightlifting championships and taken gold in the 1987 World Weightlifting Championship.

Just five years earlier, the Guinness Book of World Records was on site when Marshall lifted 289 pounds and she was officially titled “the Strongest Woman in the World.” She knew she wasn’t going to be able to maintain that status forever and came to NYCC looking toward her future.

Marshall’s goal was to combine her education as a registered nurse with her athletic passion to help other competitors find a path to peak performance. Her many achievements had been earned with the aid of chiropractic care, and now she wanted to introduce others to its many benefits.

Why NYCC

Initially choosing the College for its reputation as an academic leader and its rigorous curriculum, Marshall knew NYCC would best prepare her to pass the Board exams. What she also found was that she developed the skills to run a successful practice, as well as met a student with a shared vision, who would later be her business partner. For 25 years, she and Dennis Cronk D.C. ’93, have operated Champion Health, a general chiropractic care practice in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Her lifelong journey from the strongest woman to a “mild-mannered chiropractor” was featured in the TEDx talk “Shattering Records and Glass Ceilings, “in which Marshall also discusses her role in the fight for women’s equality in sports.

A weightlifter’s intro to chiropractic

Marshall’s initial introduction to chiropractic came just a few weeks before a national competition. In extreme pain as a result of a hip and lower-back injury. Marshall’s doctor prescribed pain pills and rest. She was told not to compete. Not happy with this analysis, Marshall reached out to a fellow competitor, also a chiropractor. He adjusted Marshall – not only was her pain relieved, she competed at the National level and won. From here on out, Marshall turned to chiropractic to keep her body in balance and her conviction to chiropractic began.

Passion for chiro and competition persist

During the years, Marshall’s passion for both competing and delivering chiropractic care have proved indestructible. “Chiropractic is all about a healthy lifestyle and how to take care of our bodies –athlete or not,” Marshall said. Today, she continues to guide others to optimal health at her practice and competes in local competitions and CrossFit, participating in every one since the first Open in 2011.

Break the chains of doubt, break the chains of fear, break the chains of complacency and in their place build a life of courage, of vision and of purpose.

There’s a lot of pressure when you're trying to help someone in pain with just a few minutes and a few holes to work with, but it’s also the most rewarding part—helping them perform at their best when it matters most."

Going to Northeast, you’re going to get a superior education. Once you leave Seneca Falls and start talking to graduates from other schools, you’re going to find out that your education, knowledge and background are far superior to anyone else out there.

At the time I graduated, I found myself well-positioned to apply for a VA position.

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