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.
See more:
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
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Fall grads celebrate their success at commencement
December 12, 2025
The University of Cincinnati recognized more than 2,600 graduates at its fall commencement.
Make Hoxworth Blood Center’s special holiday events part of your family celebrations this December
December 12, 2025
This December, Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, is inviting families across Greater Cincinnati to add something truly meaningful to their holiday traditions: giving the gift of life. With festive community events, beloved local partners and special thank-you gifts for donors, Hoxworth is making it easier, and more heartwarming than ever, to roll up your sleeves and help save lives close to home.
Ohio nurses weigh in on proposed federal loan rule
December 12, 2025
Spectrum News journalist Javari Burnett spoke with UC Dean Alicia Ribar and UC nursing students Megan Romero and Nevaeh Haskins about proposed new federal student loan rules. Romero and Haskins, both seniors, were filmed in the College of Nursing’s Simulation Lab.