Article reposted from MidAmerica Nazerene University
Author: Carol Best
The U.S. Paralympic Swimming team is competing with 176 other countries in Rio de Janeiro and one of MNU’s professors is an important adjunct to the group. Chris Crawford, MNU assistant professor and director of the athletic training program, is their lead medical provider for the summer games.
The 4,500 athletes in the Paralympic Games will compete in 528 medal events in 22 sports, utilizing the same venues as the Olympic games, including Athlete’s Village. Crawford and another athletic trainer will work with 31 swimmers on the U.S. team. Currently 25 of the athletes are ranked in the top 10 in the world across 89 events.
Crawford has extensive experience with the team having served on the medical staff for the 2014 Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships in Pasadena, CA, as head athletic trainer for the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and head athletic trainer for the 2015 ParaPan American Games in Toronto, Canada. He has volunteered with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees since 2013. On the faculty of MNU since 2013, Crawford has 16 years of experience in athletic training for many sports and in all kinds of settings. He teaches classes in the athletic training, pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy programs.
Chris Crawford demonstrates taping techniques for a shoulder injury during a class at MNU.
Crawford, the rest of the staff and athletes will be in Houston, Texas for training camp from August 26-September 1, then leave for Rio de Janeiro, September 2.