CU Runner James Overberg Develops New Custom Sauna to Help Athlete Recovery

James Overberg Track and Field Sauna Project

CU's James Overberg, a Track & Field Athlete and a Mechanical Engineering Major Designed a Custom Sauna for CU Student-Athletes

Photo by: Tyler Davis

CU Runner James Overberg Develops New Custom Sauna to Help Athlete Recovery

March 02, 2026 | Track and Field

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The Mechanical Engineering Major’s Creation Added to the Ford Practice Facility for Student-Athlete Use

By: Steve Hurlbert, Director of Strategic Communications

For high-performance athletes, a multitude of factors, from diet to training to recovery, are vital for success in competition. University of Colorado Cross Country and Track & Field student-athlete James Overberg has taken his knowledge of his sport and engineering to come up with a practical way to assist CU student-athletes achieve their goals.

A senior Mechanical Engineering Major in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Overberg designed and developed a custom sauna that is crucial for helping endurance athletes recover from intense exercise. That custom sauna has evolved from James's design to a reality, and now is a permanent part of the Endurance Lab located in the Ford Indoor Practice Facility where it will assist Colorado student-athletes for years to come.

"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," said James. "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 that James had constructed a sauna in his backyard at home, Sean Carlson, Colorado's Director of Cross Country and Track & Field saw an opportunity to put James's ingenuity to work, tasking him with creating a sauna for the team's facility.

"I came to him with a fully fleshed out design made in SolidWorks, a CAD software I've used in my undergrad," continued James. "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."

With a design in hand, James then brought the idea to Senior Deputy Athletic Director Jason DePaepe, who enlisted another Buff, architect Ryan Sellinghausen from Populous in Denver, who has designed other CU Athletics facilities including the revitalization projects at Potts and Prentup Fields, as well as the creation of CU Athletics' Psychological Health & Performance Offices, to assist James in finalizing the design and getting it to a contractor.

"Working with Ryan was a great experience," said James. "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."

Once the design was finalized around Christmas and with some assistance from longtime track & field donors Paul and Brenda Lilly, procurement of materials and final construction took roughly two months. Finally, on March 2, 2026, James's creation was officially unveiled in the Ford Practice Facility in front of his parents, his coaches, and all of his teammates.

"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 James. "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."

"This sauna represents what makes our program special," said Carlson. "James took real ownership of this project. He didn't just use the facility, he helped design it with the needs of elite athletes in mind. He is one of the leaders of our team and a school-record holder in the 5,000 meters, and the same discipline and attention to detail that shows up in his training showed up throughout this process. He cared about how recovery, heat adaptation, and overall athlete wellness could be improved for the entire group, not just for himself."

James's commitment and ingenuity is emblematic of how CU student-athletes contribute to the university and society well beyond their tremendous athletic achievements.

"I'm so proud of James for his incredible hard work in developing this sauna which is a huge benefit to our endurance athletes," said Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo. "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 a CU student-athlete."

As with most great developments, James's sauna was a team effort.

"We are also incredibly grateful to our alumni and friends of the program whose generosity made both the Endurance Lab and the sauna possible," added Carlson. "Their support directly impacts the daily experience and development of our student-athletes. Facilities like this allow our athletes to prepare and recover at the highest level while still keeping the focus on education, health, and long-term success. This is a true example of former athletes and supporters investing in the next generation."

With current student-athletes like James setting the example, the next generation of CU athletes will have a lot to emulate, building on a foundation of Buffs success in competition, in academics, and in life.