USOC Makes It Official:
U of I Announced as Paralympic Training Site
On September 26, 2014, the United States Olympic Committee and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced an agreement designating the university as a U.S. Paralympic Training Site. Back row: USOC Board member and Paralympic Advisory Committee Chairman Jim Benson, BP Senior Vice President Corey Correnti, University of Illinois Dean Dr. Tanya Gallagher, University of Illinois Chancellor Dr. Phyllis Wise, DRES founder Dr. Tim Nugent, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. Front row: 11-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden, University of Illinois and U.S. Paralympic wheelchair racing coach Adam Bleakney.
The Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES), the service unit of the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been designated an official U.S. Paralympic Training Site. The announcement was made by the United States Olympic Committee during the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly in Chicago on September 26.
The DRES venues, staff, and resources will provide an elite athlete training environment for current and aspiring Paralympic track & field athletes. The University of Illinois wheelchair program has turned out such outstanding Paralympic athletes as Sharon Hedrick, Jean Driscoll, and Shawn Meredith. At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, athletes from the University of Illinois accounted for 10 of the 28 total U.S. track & field medals won. University of Illinois graduate Tatyana McFadden won three gold medals and one bronze medal, and University of Illinois junior Raymond Martin won four gold medals.
“We are excited about the opportunity to deepen our relationship with the United States Olympic Committee by becoming one of its elite Paralympic training facilities,” said Tanya Gallagher, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences. “Since athletes from our program at Illinois participated in the first Paralympic Games we have had a sustained commitment to the world-wide recognition and celebration of athletic ability that these games represent.”
The wheelchair track & field program at Illinois is led by Adam Bleakney, the USOC 2013 Paralympic National Coach of Year award recipient. There are 22 athletes currently training at the site. Twelve are U.S. Paralympians, six are Paralympic medalists, and four are gold medalists. The 22 athletes collectively hold four world records, three nominations for ESPY awards, and wins in the Boston, London, Chicago, and New York City marathons.
The training site at the University of Illinois measures 2100 square feet and boasts specialized equipment such as roller stations, Nordic ski ergs, and weights, most of which was made possible through the support of sponsor BP, which donated $160,000 toward the creation of the new training site.
“As a proud partner of the United States Olympic Committee, BP is honored to support the establishment of what we believe will be the top Paralympic wheelchair racing training facility in the world,” said Corey Correnti, BP’s Chicago-based vice president of marketing, sales, and supply. “We’re very excited to lend our support to the world-class program at the University of Illinois.”
