On this episode of the AMSSM Sports Medcast, host Dr. Devin McFadden, MD, is joined by Dr. Irfan Asif, MD, FAMSSM, and Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, DO, FAMSSM, to discuss the multi-faceted topic of Paralympic Sports Medicine.

In this conversation, Dr. Asif and Dr. Finnoff discuss the following:

How they first got involved in USOPC and Paralympic team sports
The number of sports in Paralympic competition and the athlete classifications that aim to level the playing field for athletes of different abilities
What it’s like to take care of Paralympic athletes and their unique requirements
The planning process for delivering medical services for Team USA during the Paralympic Games
Current and future research efforts regarding Paralympic athletes
Overcoming the perceived barriers to entry when providing care for Paralympic athletes and ways to get more involved

Dr. Asif is the associate dean for primary care and rural health and professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He currently serves as the 2nd Vice President for AMSSM and is an Associate Editor for both the British Journal of Sports Medicine and Sports Health: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach.

Dr. Finnoff is the Chief Medical Officer for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado, and a Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. He currently serves as the 1st Vice President for AMSSM.

Resources:

2025 USOPC Paralympic Sports Medicine Conference https://www.usopc.org/2025-paralympic-sports-medicine-conference

PARA-Wise Registry Screening Survey: https://redcap.link/PARAWISE