2025 USOPC Paralympic Sports Medicine Conference

September 4-6, 2025 | Colorado Springs, Colo. & Virtual

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The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is excited to announce the inaugural Paralympic Sports Medicine Conference, scheduled for September 4–6, 2025. This hybrid event will take place virtually and in person at the Colorado Springs Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.

This first-of-its-kind initiative, presented in collaboration with leading medical associations, will feature renowned experts in Paralympic sports medicine. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, including Paralympic classification, adaptive equipment, medical emergencies, travel-related health concerns, neurologic and cardiac conditions, skin care, and more. Attendees can expect a mix of lectures and hands-on learning opportunities.

Join us for this comprehensive exploration of Paralympic sports medicine. Further event details will be available soon, with registration launching May 21, 2025. For inquiries, contact sportsmedevents@usopc.org. We look forward to seeing you in September!

Schedule#

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Thursday, Sept. 4

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
8:05 - 8:10 a.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
8:10 - 8:30 a.m.	History of Paralympic Sport	Steve Reid
8:30 - 9 a.m.	Paralympic Sport Classification	Tyler Carter
9 - 9:45 a.m.	Paralympic Athlete Medical Disorders	Cheri Blauwet
9:45 - 9:55 a.m.	Q&A

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
10:05 - 10:10 a.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
10:10 - 10:40 a.m.	Adaptive Equipment 101	Stephanie Tow
10:40 - 11:10 a.m.	Paralympic Athlete Periodic Health Evaluation	Carolette Cloete
11:10 - 11:30 a.m.	Team Physician Medical Kit	Stephanie Tow
11:30 - 11:50 a.m.	Medical Concerns Associated with Paralympic Athlete Travel	Steve Reid
11:50 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Q&A
12 - 1 p.m.	Lunch & Athlete Panel

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
1 - 1:05 p.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
1:05 - 1:35 p.m.	Paralympic Medical Emergencies	Pippa Bennett
1:35 - 2:05 p.m.	Neurologic Considerations in Paralympic Athletes	Melissa Tinney
2:05 - 2:35 p.m.	Paralympic Concussion Prevention, Identification, Management and Return to Sport Considerations	Pippa Bennett
2:35 - 3:05 p.m.	Cardiac Conditions in the Paralympic Athlete	Irfan Asif
3:05-3:15 p.m.	Q&A

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
3:30 - 3:35 p.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
3:35 - 4 p.m.	Bowel and Bladder Considerations in the Paralympic Athlete	Melissa Tinney
4 - 4:25 p.m.	Respiratory Conditions in the Paralympic Athlete	Tod Olin
4:25 - 4:50 p.m.	Dermatologic Considerations in the Paralympic Athlete	Melissa Tinney
4:50 - 5 p.m.	Q&A
5 - 5:45 p.m.	Networking with Paralympic NGB Medical Leads

Friday, Sept. 5

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
8:05 - 8:10 a.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
8:10 - 8:40 a.m.	Musculoskeletal Considerations in the Paralympic Athlete	Andy Marshall
8:40 - 9:10 a.m.	Trauma Assessment and Initial Management in Paralympic Athletes	Mike Uihlein, Jenna Wilkerson
9:10 - 9:40 a.m.	Pain Management for Paralympic Athletes	Wayne Derman
9:40 - 9:50 a.m.	Q&A

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
10 - 10:05 a.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
10:05 - 10:40 a.m.	Paralympic Athlete Environmental Illness Considerations	Meredith Ehn
10:40 - 11:10 a.m.	Special Considerations for Athletes with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities	Vincent Siasoco
11:10 - 11:40 a.m.	Sleep Optimization for Paralympic Athletes	Emily Clark
11:40 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Q&A
12 - 1 p.m.	Lunch & Athlete Speaker

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
1 - 1:05 p.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
1:05 - 1:35 p.m.	Evaluation, Management, and Prevention of Infectious Disease in Paralympic Athletes	Wayne Derman
1:35 - 2:05 p.m.	Tricks of the Trade for Healthcare Providers working with Paralympic Athletes	Amber Donaldson, Jim Murdock, Jenna Wilkerson
2:05 - 2:35 p.m.	Prevention, Screening, Evaluation, and Management of Mental Health Conditions in the Paralympic Athlete	Jessica Bartley
2:35 - 3:05 p.m.	Anti-Doping Considerations in the Paralympic Athlete	Matt Fedoruk
3:05 - 3:10 p.m.	Q&A

Time (MT)	Session	Speaker
3:20 - 3:25 p.m.	Introduction	Jonathan Finnoff
3:25 - 3:55 p.m.	SafeSport: Keeping our Athletes Safe	Ju'Riese Colon
3:55-4:25 p.m.	Return to Sport panel	Steve Reid, Pippa Bennett, Wayne Derman, Andy Marshall, Carolette Snyders, Stephanie Tow, Mike Uihlein, Meredith Ehn, Irfan Asif
4:25 - 4:50 p.m.	How to Get Involved in the Paralympic Movement	Jonathan Finnoff
4:50 - 5 p.m.	Q&A

Saturday, Sept. 6

Accomodations
The host hotel for the conference is the Hilton Garden Inn (HGI) Colorado Springs Downtown with a group room rate of $159++/night for a king bed or two queen beds. Located in downtown Colorado Springs, the HGI is just over two miles west of the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.
The USOPC will provide a shuttle to and from the HGI to the OPTC each day of the event prior to the meeting and at the conclusion of the day.
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Continuing Education#

The USOPC will provide continuing education credits to athletic trainers, chiropractors (specific states TBD), physical therapists (Colorado, and additional states TBD), physicians, physician assistants, and psychological service providers.
Number of Contact Hours/CME/CEU Credits: 24*
*pending approval
BOC
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to offer continuing education for athletic trainers.

Conference Speakers#

Irfan Asif
Jess Bartley
Pippa Bennett
Cheri Blauwet
Tyler Carter
Emily Clark
Ju'Riese Colon
Wayne Derman
Amber Donaldson
Meredith Ehn
Matt Fedoruk
Jonathan Finnoff
Andy Marshall
Jim Murdock
Tod Olin
Steve Reid
Vincent Siasoco
Carolette Snyders
Melissa Tinney
Stephanie Tow
Mike Uihlein
Jenna Wilkerson

2025 USOPC Paralympic Sports Medicine Conference