CINCINNATI — Now that the 2024 Olympic Games have come to a close, all eyes are back on Paris as the most elite Paralympians take the world stage.

We caught up with one Ohio assistant professor before she packed up her medical bag to help Team USA.

MeMe Earnest-Stanley is an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati teaching athletic training and physical therapy, but for the next twelve days, she’s on a different mission.

“I’ll be traveling with USA Wheelchair Rugby as part of their medical staff. I’m a physical therapist and athletic trainer,” said Earnest-Stanley.

The Fort Wayne Indiana native became involved with adaptive sports in Cincinnati.

“I first found out about adaptive sports through the special olympics when I was an undergrad and when I came to UC for PT school I got involved with our local wheelchair basketball teams, the Cincinnati Dragons,” she said.

She made connections and found herself involved with Team USA Wheelchair Rugby in Dec. 2020.

“It’s really fun. It’s really cool. I have a lot of respect for our athletes. They have fascinating stories just like many of our Olympians do,” Earnet-Stanley said.

It’s her first Paralympic experience, and she works with athletes from start to finish…from prevention to injury rehab.

Wheelchair rugby is tough.

“It’s a very high-scoring game. There’s a shot clock. It’s fun, it’s fascinating, there are hard hits. People fall on their wheelchairs all the time,” she said.

When they fall, she’s there to help.

She hopes people take the time to tune into the games to see what the athletes can do.

“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,” said Earnest-Stanley.