2nd Annual Athlete Health Celebration

This day-long event will be held on January 27, 2018 at the UCF main campus in Orlando, Florida. It will begin with private health screenings for up to 60 former NFL players, followed by a wide-ranging symposium on athletes’ health and a health vendor expo. The Living Heart Foundation has been providing physicals in conjunction with the PAF for over 13 years. Living Heart was founded by its Chairman Dr. Archie Roberts, a retired cardiologist and former quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

The symposium will be held at the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center, 12676 Gemini Blvd North from noon to 3:30pm in partnership with Hitachi Healthcare Americas. It will kick off with a champagne luncheon honoring former NFL players who attended UCF, including Bobby Spitulski, a former linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, Rick Hamilton, a former linebacker for the Washington Redskins, Marquette Smith, a former running back for the Carolina Panthers, and Elgin Davis, also a former running back for the New England Patriots. This event is open to the public with online ticket purchase.

UCF Provost, Dr. Dale Whittaker, is slated to give opening remarks at the event as one of the invited speakers. The symposium will continue with speakers in the fields of health and sports, including Andre Collins, Executive Director of NFLPA Professional Athletes Foundation, and Nyaka NiiLampti Director of Player Wellness at NFLPA. Collins and NiiLampti will discuss mental health and transition issues related to NFL Players.

Presentations will also cover treatments for post-concussive symptoms, consequences of steroid use, supplements for brain health, and how athletes can give back to their communities.

“Our Athlete Health Celebration is a great example of how UCF builds partnerships that can impact the community at many different levels,” says event organizer, Dr. Nichole Lighthall, UCF Assistant Professor of Psychology and specialist in cognitive aging. “Athletes face injuries and other health challenges that can haunt them for decades. Our event will highlight different ways that athletes – from youth sports to the pros – can live healthier lives through advancements in sports and health-science fields.”

The symposium’s panel of experts also includes Dr. Jeff Brady of Florida Urology Associates, Dr. Jay Hoffman, former NFL player and Director of the UCF Institute of Exercise Physiology and Wellness, and Dr. Anthony LoGalbo, Clinical Co-Director of the Florida Hospital Sports Concussion Management Program and affiliate of the UCF Clinical Psychology PhD training program.

The event will also feature a presentation by Dr. Richard Lapchick, Chair of the UCF DeVos Sport Business Management Program, who also serves as Director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport as well as the National Consortium for Academics and Sports.

Parking for the event is free in UCF Parking Garage D. Please contact the event coordinator, Dr. Nichole Lighthall (nichole.lighthall@ucf.edu; 407-823-2216) for further information.