UC professor in Paris for the Paralympics
Physical therapist works with Team USA wheelchair rugby, Spectrum News reports
A University of Cincinnati assistant professor is in Paris for the Paralympics, working with Team USA wheelchair rugby as a physical therapist and athletic trainer, Spectrum News reported.
MeMe Earnest-Stanley, who earned a doctorate degree in physical therapy from UC and teaches in the College of Allied Health Sciences, has worked with Team USA since December 2020. This is the first time she's traveled to the Paralympics.
“People’s perspective of disabilities will drastically change because you can see that people can be competitive, they can move in different ways, they can adapt, they can take care of themselves and be independent. It’s pretty awesome what adaptive sports can do,” Earnest-Stanley told Spectrum News.
Wheelchair rugby is a full-contact sport that combines elements of rugby, basketball and handball.
“It’s a very high-scoring game,” Earnest-Stanley said. “There’s a shot clock. It’s fun, it’s fascinating, there are hard hits. People fall on their wheelchairs all the time.”
The first wheelchair rugby games at the 2024 Paralympics are scheduled for Aug. 29, when the United States will face Canada in a preliminary round match. The U.S. also has preliminary round games against Japan and Germany at Champ-de-Mars Arena.
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Featured image at top: MeMe Earnest-Stanley, a physical therapist and athletic trainer for Team USA wheelchair rugby, takes a photo at the 2024 Wheelchair Rugby Quad Nations in Cardiff, Wales. Photo/MeMe Earnest-Stanley
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