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Wishing Denise (Harklau) O'Mara the Best Retirement!!





It was 1991 and a lot was happening...


  • Gas was $1.14/gal

  • Milk was $1.05/gal

  • 1 doz eggs cost .89

  • The Chicago Bulls WIN their first NBA Championship

  • The Minnesota Twins WIN the World Series over the Atlanta Braves

  • Queen's Freddy Mercury Dies

  • 50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

  • The Soviet Union Dissolves and the Cold War Ends

  • USA wins first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in China against Norway

  • Super Nintendo was released!

  • The top box office moves were: Terminator 2 (Judgement Day), Robin Hood (Prince of Thieves), Beauty & The Beast, and Silence of the Lambs


However, MOST importantly, Denise (Harklau) O'Mara arrived in Ames, Iowa to begin her adventure at Iowa State University as the Head Women's Athletic Trainer!! To summarize all of Denise's outstanding accomplishments during her time at Iowa State is impossible but her leadership and passion for the following areas specifically have propelled our sports medicine department to greater heights and will be a legacy we continue to carry on—


  • Women’s Wellness and Health

o   Relative Energy Deficiency (REDS) Interdisciplinary Team

o   ED/DE Policy and Care

  • Importance of Positive Mentorship

  • Education Excellence in our Athletic Training Education Program

  • Outstanding Care as an Athletic Training with most notable service to our Women’s Basketball Program for the past 30 years!


It is very rare anyone can say they positively impacted, helped, and touched the lives of several thousand people during their career, but that is exactly what Denise has accomplished (and much more). Regardless of the injury/illness, condition, or situation you could always count on Denise to have everyone's best-interest in-mind. It is through that philosophy Denise's medical care earned the respect, and admiration, of countless student-athletes, athletic training students, coaches, administrators, colleagues, and families whom she crossed paths with during her three decades of service.


In additional to being passionate about providing excellent physical, emotional, and mental health care to our student-athletes, Denise also worked tirelessly to promote women and mentored so many grateful individuals. Denise is the consummate professional. She is smart, patient, kind, hearted, caring, and extremely loyal. We are very happy for her as she embarks on this new chapter called "retirement". She will be dearly missed and unable to be replaced.


We wish you the VERY best Denise! Stay healthy, happy, drink lots of iced tea, and spend quality time with Dan, your kids, grandkids, Zoe, and on the golf course or in the garden.


Thank you for EVERYTHING. You are the very BEST.




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