As the High-Performance Management Organization for USA Para Powerlifting (USAPP), Logan is excited to welcome the Paralympic Operations Department (POD) to Logan in a greater capacity this year. Kelley Humphries, DC, MS, EMT-P, CSCS, ICCSP, CCSP, executive director of POD, has returned to Logan and her office is now located in office C27 in the Montgomery Health Center.
Dr. Humphries and the entire POD team are excited to become a more integrated part of Logan’s campus and build on the relationships they have established with students, faculty and the St. Louis community as a whole.
“Now that our offices are on campus, I’m looking forward to interacting daily with the Logan community,” Dr. Humphries said. “Logan has done a wonderful job of embracing the sport, and now we’ll be able to come up with even more creative ways to incorporate the sport into the community.”
2021 is gearing up to be a busy year for USAPP and POD as competitions and qualifying events resume after the pandemic delayed most activities worldwide in 2020. This month, from March 21 to the 28, USAPP will be traveling with a delegation of 20 members to their first international competition of the year in Manchester, United Kingdom. Additionally, Logan will host the Military Cup in June.
“Logan will be hosting the Military Cup this year, which is a domestic event for disabled veterans looking to participate and compete in the sport of Para Powerlifting,” Dr. Humphries said. “We are also hosting a virtual International Classier course this year. Something we are very excited about. This course is an awesome opportunity for faculty to get involved since our sport and sports across the Paralympic Movement need medical support in this area.”
Aside from international competitions, USAPP is also expanding its reach domestically by opening at least eight new regional hubs in 2021. Four have already been opened, and four more are scheduled to open this year in Texas, Indiana and California.
Moving forward, there will be many opportunities for students and faculty to become more involved in USAPP and help build awareness of the Paralympic Movement nationally. While Logan has embraced the sport in the past, now that POD has an office in the Montgomery Health Center, they will serve a more active role on campus and provide opportunities for students and faculty to work with the athletes often, in competition and in training.
“This move will open doors to the Logan community to be immersed in the Paralympic movement as a whole,” Dr. Humphries said. “The timing is perfect…it’s a games (Paralympic) year and we have come home!”
More 2021 events for USAPP:
- April
- USAPP will partner with the U.S. Air Force for trials in Paralympic style powerlifting
- International Classifier and Technical Official virtual courses
- California Regional Hub opening
- May
- First military focused regional hub opening in Fort Hood, Texas
- USAPP to present at Move United Annual Adapted Sport Conference
- Indiana Regional Hub opening
- June
- Military Cup at Logan
- June
- Endeavor Games at the University of Central Oklahoma
- High Performance Athlete Camp at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado, Springs
- July
- Level Two Coaches Education Course; Kansas City Regional Hub
- USAPP to support Move United’s Annual Junior National event
- July
- Junior Nationals with Move United
- August
- Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo Japan (August 21 – September 5th)
- High Performance Manager Mary Hodge will speak at the Women in Sports Conference in Spokane, Washington
- September
- Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo Japan (August 21 – September 5th)
- Warrior Games at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
- October
- World Championship Qualifier
- December
- World Para Powerlifting World Championships in Hungary