University of Colorado Cross Country and Track & Field student-athlete James Overberg unveiled a custom-built sauna on March 2 at the Ford Indoor Practice Facility. Overberg, a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, designed and developed the sauna to help endurance athletes recover from intense exercise.
The new facility is intended to support Colorado student-athletes in their training and recovery routines. Overberg said, “At Colorado, we are always trying to maximize our performance and training efficiency, trying to get that extra 1% every session, and things like lactate testing and heat training are at the forefront of that concept. The sauna is just another tool to squeeze every bit of benefit out of our training, and I wanted the design to reflect that and use the limited space efficiently.”
After learning about a backyard sauna Overberg had built at home, Sean Carlson, Colorado’s Director of Cross Country and Track & Field, asked him to create a similar facility for the team. Overberg explained his process: “I came to him with a fully fleshed out design made in SolidWorks, a CAD software I’ve used in my undergrad. It included the foundation, framing, insulation, cladding, benches, lights, stove, door, and a complete material list and cost breakdown from vendors I contacted and got quotes from. I did all this in hopes of making the buying of materials and the construction of the sauna a smoother process while also providing a complete visual of the final product.”
Overberg worked with Senior Deputy Athletic Director Jason DePaepe and architect Ryan Sellinghausen from Populous in Denver to finalize the design according to building codes and regulations. “Working with Ryan was a great experience,” said Overberg. “It’s one thing to design with no constraints, but to have to design with codes and regulations is a much more realistic expectation in the professional world. Ryan helped me navigate that while still achieving everything we wanted for the sauna. Ryan provided valuable insight and guidance throughout the whole process.” Construction began after Christmas with support from donors Paul and Brenda Lilly.
The project culminated with an unveiling attended by Overberg’s parents, coaches, teammates, and university officials. “I’ve been staring at it on a computer for so long and for it to be exactly like the model it’s just exactly what I designed,” said Overberg. “This is perfect. It feels fulfilling for it to come together but not only that, to have everyone here supporting me and celebrating it is the best part.” Carlson praised Overberg’s leadership: “This sauna represents what makes our program special… He cared about how recovery, heat adaptation, and overall athlete wellness could be improved for the entire group.” Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo added: “I’m so proud of James for his incredible hard work in developing this sauna which is a huge benefit to our endurance athletes… Utilizing the knowledge he’s gained as both an elite athlete and an elite student to develop new initiatives that help others is the epitome of what it means to be a CU student-athlete.”
Carlson also acknowledged alumni contributions: “We are also incredibly grateful to our alumni and friends of the program whose generosity made both the Endurance Lab and the sauna possible… Facilities like this allow our athletes to prepare and recover at the highest level while still keeping focus on education health long-term success.” With projects like this led by current students such as Overberg, university officials say future generations will continue building on academic athletic achievements.
